Let Daylight Dry Your Tears
by Kchan88
Summary: Raoul and Christine, who are now happily married, are returning to Paris, just a year after the fire.Erik still roams the opera, but the couple soon finds that there is someone else after them.Things are amiss in Paris.. RC
1. Chapter 1

Let Daylight dry your tears

A/N: Hey everyone! This is a one shot fic from Raoul's POV, that takes place directly after the events of Don Juan and the fire. I personally love Raoul and I tire of seeing fics that bash him, I really want people to see the real Raoul de Chagny, so here I go. I hope that you like it, and please R and R !

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Rain thundered outside my guest room window as I sat upon an armchair next to the bed that my beloved Christine had just fallen asleep in, her hand still resting gently in mine, as though even in sleep she refused to let go of me. I only hoped that the pouring rain would help quench the blazing fire that had consumed the Opera Populaire earlier that evening. I shivered slightly, even though it was warm inside, as the chilling and horrifying events of the evening flooded my memory. Christine falling through the trapdoor with the Phantom, myself being submerged into the ice cold lake in the opera cellars, the taught noose around my neck, taking my breath away. But the thing that haunted me most was the broken look on Christine's face, and the tears that had fallen down her ivory face, as the Phantom had presented her with her choice. The choice to either stay with him forever, or my death.

I couldn't believe it when those words had come out of his mouth. I had been gladly willing to give my life up for Christine to have freedom, for my life meant nothing without her. And there were simply no words to express how glad and lucky I was to have her here with me now. I traced the tracks of her tears on her pale face, as I felt a tear fall from my own eye, at the sight of seeing how many tears she had cried that evening. Tears that she had cried for me, for us, and for the Phantom. I doubted that she had cried any for herself, she was far too selfless to have thought about such a thing.

I had always hated to see Christine cry, ever since we were children. And I had seen her cry more tears than anyone ever should have to cry, for she had been through far too much for her sixteen years. I will never forget the day that Gustav Daae died. I had never seen my friend and playmate so sad, as the brokenhearted tears had fallen from her seven year old eyes. I tried so hard to make her feel better, as I hugged her to me that day. I myself had fought hard to keep the tears from my own eyes, for Monsieur Daae had been, not only my violin teacher, but he had been like another father to me. Christine and I had sat there for hours, on the shore of the sea, my arm about her shaking shoulders, as I realized that the best thing I could do was to simply be there for her, for as she said, I was the only thing that she had left, for her father and I had been her whole world.

I squeezed Christine's small hand in mine as I continued my musings about those years. She smiled slightly in her sleep, as though she knew it was me there. I remembered the fateful day that we had to part, the day that Madame Giry came to retrieve her and take her to the opera house as her father had instructed. She ran to me, those diamond like tears in her eyes once again, her dark curls flowing behind her. And this time, as we said goodbye, for God knew how many years, I could not keep myself from crying. And I swore, right then, as my boyish face attempted to smile at my friend as she waved from the carriage window, that I would find my friend again.

I smiled slightly at that thought, for here she was, asleep right before my eyes, looking every bit like an angel. I stroked her hair, trying to soothe her sleep, and to fight away any nightmares that could be plauging her dreams. But, I realized, we had just escaped the real nightmare. The nightmare of the Phantom of the Opera. Little had I known what I was stepping into when I entered that opera house, ecstatic beyond words to have found what I was sure was the love of my life. But I had risen to the challenge, willing to do anything to bring Christine that happiness that she so deserved.

I leaned back in the chair, holding Christine's hand to my cheek, as I hummed the tune to the song that we had sung to each other on the rooftop, the night that we professed our love for each other. I had noticed that night, that Christine's tears had not changed over the years, and their effect on me had only worsened. And I had been so glad that night, that my words and my embrace had been able to make her feel better. And after that first kiss, I knew that Christine felt the same way that I did. My childhood friend had become my true love.

But even after that night, I still had no idea how many more tears Christine was going to be forced to shed, for I had no idea what was in store. Not until the night of the masquerade had I understood the situation. I slept outside Christine's dormitory that night, trying to protect her from any harm. But I had awoken only to find to my horror, that Christine was gone. I had raced to the cemetary, to come face to face with the Phantom, whom I realized now, was just as much of a man as I was. A man that in his own twisted way, loved Christine too. But the tears that she had shed after that event, when the realization that the Phantom, Erik, was not the spirit of her father, were the worst yet. And the tears shed before the performance of Don Juan had nearly broken my heart in two, for those tears had been shed for fear of betraying her former teacher, but also for fear that we would be seperated again, and she couldn't seem to bear that, and neither could I.

It had been all of these tears that drove me down to that lair tonight. In this final attempt to save Christine from the darkness. But if it hadn't been for Christine, I knew, I would not be alive. And as hard as it was to believe, I was thankful to the Phantom, for he had let us go, had shown compassion that he had never been shown, until Christine showed it to him. And I understood how the man felt on one level, for I could not imagine living without Christine. And as I sat there, I felt like the luckiest man in the world, for this beautiful and kind angel had chosen to love me. After a few more minutes of thinking, I noticed Christine was stirrring, and her big brown eyes came open.

"Raoul love, you're still awake?" she asked in a sweet and soft whisper.

"Yes, Little Lotte, I am. I wanted to make sure that you were alright before I considered going to sleep." I said, smiling at her.

Her eyes traveled over the bandages on both my arm and my neck, and her eyes filled with tears. "Raoul, you have no idea how happy I am that you are here, I was terrified to lose you. I can't live without you. Please hold me."

I complied with her request and sat on the bed, next to her and pulled her to me, my arms wrapped tightly around her, wiping her tears gently away. I didn't want her to cry for me. "I would have gladly given my life for you to be free, my love." I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

She turned to look at me, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. She smiled at me, and kissed them away. I held her tighter to me, planting kisses in her hair. She smiled and appeared to be falling asleep again. But then the sweetest words in the world came out of her mouth.

"I love you Raoul, my shelter and my light." she said, as she turned around once again, leaning her head against my chest.

My heart fluttered. "I love you too, Christine, so very much." I said, and I saw that there were no longer tears in her eyes, but a look of ultimate happiness in those chocolate orbs.

"You know," she said sleepily, "I believe that father is smiling down on us tonight, and Erik too, for letting us go. Papa loved you so Raoul, and I know that he will be smiling down on us in a few weeks, when we get married." she said with a dazzling smile at the thought of a wedding. "Thankyou for rescuing me Raoul, for rescuing me from the darkness and the sadness that has haunted me ever since my papa died."

In answer to that statement, I claimed her lips in a gentle kiss, and she returned it, and I could feel the intimacy and depth of our love. Then she fell asleep in my arms after a few minutes, and I could feel my own eyes drooping. I knew that Madame Giry, who was downstairs, would reprimand me for staying up so late after such a trauma, but at this moment, I could not be happier. Here I was with my beloved in my arms, never to be parted again. We would marry, and have children, and I hoped that someday when she was ready, Christine would return to singing. We would make a blissful life togther, and if I could help it, Christine would never hurt anymore. But, I realized, if any pain were to ever enter our lives again, we would be there for each other, through it all, and we would let daylight dry our tears. 


	2. Happy days and good news

Let daylight dry our tears

Chapter 2: Happy days and good news

A/N: This was originally a one shot, but since I got so many wonderful reviews, I decided to make it a full length fic and see what happened. Thankyou to Romance-luver22, Guitarprincess,Lunasriel, Eriks One Voice, Glitter Queen of the Ice Show, lourdesmont, Phantress, and elfgirl180, for your reviews!  
Summary: This takes place just a year after chapter 1. Raoul and Christine have been married for a year, and it has been a year since the fateful night of Don Juan. The Opera Populaire is reopening, and everyone is reunited. Erik reappears and get up to his old tricks once more. But this is the least of Raoul and Christine's problems when they find that someone is after their lives, and the de Chagny fortune. And its not Erik...But the question is, will Erik help the couple for Christine's sake? An RC fic!  
By the way will be in first person, in either Raoul or Christine's POV, maybe occassionally Erik's.  
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Raoul's POV

I walked inside after taking an early morning walk on the beach. Normally Christine would have eagerly accompanied me, but she had been feeling tired so she had decided to sleep in a bit. As I reached the doorway I shook the sand off of my clothes and picked up the newspaper that lay at the door. I sat down at the dining room table, waiting for Christine to come down for breakfast. As I unrolled the newspaper my eyes immediately laned upon the bold lettered headline:  
'Opera Populaire to reopen!'

I let a small smile appear on my lips at the headline, for I knew how happy this news had made Christine for she had missed her singing so, as it was one of the only reminders of her father that she had left. We had recieved news of the reopening a few weeks ago in a letter from Andre and Firmin. It had been a year since the disaster and since my marriage to Christine. It had taken eight months to repair the ravaged and burned opera house, but now, as the picture seemed to show, it had been restored to it's original grandeur and magnificence. Christine and I had been married in Paris, but then we had come here to the house by the sea. And aside from a few visits to the city, we had stayed here. It seemed to comfort both of us, being at this place where we had so many wonderful memories from our childhood, the place where we had first met. Just then I heard a creak on the stairs and turned to see Christine coming down them. I put down the paper and got up to greet her.

"Good morning Little Lotte," I said as I met her lips in a soft kiss.

She smiled. " Good morning love. How was your walk?"

"It was refreshing," I said as I led her over to the table. "There's nothing like the salt air to wake you up."

Breakfast was set before us, and we ate in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. I looked up at my beloved wife for a moment and I noticed that there was a sparkle in her eyes. And my heart was glad, for it had taken some time after that fateful night of Don Juan to get that twinkle back. But now it was there, and I hoped that it would stay forever. I had learned over the past months, that though I couldn't always prevent the things that made Christine cry, I could be there to dry her tears, just as I had promised in our song. Then I noticed that Christine had pulled the newspaper to her and had begun to read the article about the Opera Populaire. The further she read, the happier her expression she became. Then she gave a start, causing me to nearly choke on my eggs.

"Oh Raoul, look, they mentioned us!" she said gaily as as she read aloud. "It is rumored that the Vicomte de Chagny will resume his post as chief patron, and that his wife, the former Christine Daae, will take over the posistion of Primma Donna," Her formerly alight face now began to darken. "But there are still the ever present rumors that the Phantom of the opera may lurk in the cellars..." She stopped, putting the paper down and laying her fork on the breakfast plate.

She got up without a word and opened the sliding glass door that led to the deck that looked down upon the sea. I gave her a minute, then followed. I opened the door quietly as she stared out at the sea, the gentle breeze blowing her mahogany curls about. I came up behind her and carefully wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

"Do you think we should go back?" she asked suddenly.

I thought for a moment on how to answer this. "Yes," I replied. "We both know much your singing means to you, it completes you. And I promise that I won't let anything happen to you." I said, trying to reassure her.

She moved closer against my chest, and took one of my hands in hers. "I do not fear for myself, I fear for you. What if he wants to seek revenge on you Raoul?" she asked in a whisper.

"If he does, I swear I won't let myself get hurt. But perhaps the rumors that he is still beneath the opera are just that, rumors." I said as I stroked her hair.

She turned around in my arms, so that she was facing me, and there was a question in her tear filled eyes. "Do you promise that you'll be alright?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "And you know, perhaps he has changed since that night. He did let us go after all."

"Yes," she said, her voice sounding convined and much more content now. "Perhaps he has. You know, no matter what happens, you always manage to to make everything alright. How do you do it?" she asked as she brushed a hair out of my face.

I smiled as I wiped the tears from her her cheek. "I could ask you the same question."

She laughed as she grabbed my hand and we ran down to the beach. She pushed me into the water, so I pulled her down with me. We chased each other across the beach for hours, much as we had when we were children. After that, we went inside, exhausted and laughing hysterically. Then as we lay in each other's arms we began to excitedly discuss our return to Paris. And I knew then, as we watched the sun begin to set on the horizon of the vast ocean, that no matter what happened in the city, we would have each other. Opera Populaire here we come!  
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A/N: Okay, so I hope you like this! The action really starts in the next chapter. Please read and review! 


	3. Back to the Opera Populaire

Let daylight dry your tears

Chapter 3: Back to the Opera Populaire

Christine's POV

Just a week after the newspaper article had announced the reopening Of the Opera Populaire, Raoul and I found ourselves in a carriage heading for the opera house. We had arrived in Paris just two days ago, and had begun to unpack and make ourselves at home in our house that had been shut up since our last visit to Paris three months ago. I felt my stomach doing a few acrobatic like flip-flops as the Opera house came in to view. It looked, on the outside at least, as though it had never been damaged, which was slightly eerie.

I was thrilled to return, but I wouldn't lie; it was a bit frightening. But I wasn't going to let fear dominate my life, and as I looked over at Raoul, his blonde hair blowing in the wind as he stopped the horses in front of the steps of the opera, I instantly felt better. He was my light and the love of my life.

"Well here we are darling," said Raoul as he helped me ever so carefully down from the carriage. "How does it feel?" He asked as he surveyed my face for a sign of any discomfort.

"Odd, but wonderful." I said truthfully as I took his hand firmly in mine, silently letting him know that I wouldn't feel this happy if he weren't here with me.

We pulled open the grand doors and stepped into the beautiful marble floor entrance hall, and I instantly felt at home. I could almost hear the cheerful childlike voices of Meg and myself floating through the halls. I smiled as I thought of all the things that happened in this place; I had roamed it with Meg night after night during our childhood days, I had been reunited with Raoul, and I had starred in my first opera, all in this very building.

"I looks as though nothing even happened." whispered Raoul as he squeezed my hand.

"I know," I said in awe." It looks almost exactly as I remember it."

Apparently our voices drifted up the stairs, because Andre and Firmin suddenly appeared at the top of marble staircase, and came over most jovially to greet us.

"Vicomte, and Vicomtess de Chagny! How nice to see you!" Said Firmin excitedly.

"Yes it is a pleasure." said Andre with a grand smile as both of the comical managers shook Raoul's hand heartily and placed a light kiss on my hand.

"And we are so pleased to be back!" said Raoul as he looked around the room. "I must say that this place looks as good as new."

"Yes, It rather does." said Firmin." I just hope that there are no disturbances from that Phantom fellow." he said uneasily .

"Yes well," said Andre, clearing his throat. "I doubt that there will be. Christine, we were delighted to hear a positive answer to our request that you be the primma donna."

I smiled at the rather goofy man. " I was honored that you asked.I would do anything for the Opera Populaire." And it was true, I would.

Andre and Firmin then ushered us into the theater, and we chatted on the way, catching up. We had not in fact seen them since our wedding. But when we stepped into the theater, I was taken aback. The last time I has seen this room was only two days after the fire. The floor had been nothing but ash, the chairs had been nothing but dust, and the chandelier had been nothing but many pieces of shattered glass. But now, I noticed, a much smaller, much less grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Indeed much less hazardous than the original.

I looked around the large room to find that it, unlike the rest of the opera house, looked nothing like it had before. The curtains were navy and silver instead of burgundy and gold. The chairs too, were covered in navy blue velvet. The stage was much larger, and the ceiling, which had formerly been painted with cheribums and seraphims, was now adorned in flowers. It was different to be sure, but nonetheless grand. Raoul's sea blue eyes met mine, and we wordlessly acknowledged that we were quite glad that it was different, as it was not as likely to instantly bring the painful memories of the night of Don Juan back into our heads. Once backstage I found myself being accosted by a group of my old chorus girl friends, who began to chatter endlessly.

"Where have you been?" asked one.

"Are you glad to be back?" asked another.

"Did you marry the Vicomte?" asked a third.

I laughed at their incessant questioning. "Well, I've been in the town of Brittany by the sea for most of the year, but I'm very glad to be back. And yes, I am very happily married to the Vicomte." I said as I beckoned Raoul over.

He had been standing a bit back, talking to Andre and Firmin as though he were feeling shy of my friends. "Raoul these are all of my friends, I'm sure you rememeber them? Sorelli, Jammes, Molly, Holly, and Caroline?"

"Ah yes of course." said Raoul as he bowed to each of them, smiling.

They curtseyed in return." Bonjour Monsieur le Vicomte." They said in unison.

"Please," he said. "Call me Raoul." He nodded to them and then turned to me, and grasped my hands. All of my friends turned to look one last time before waving goodbye to go to ballet practice. I laughed at their antics. They had always thought that Raoul was much like a prince, who had come to sweep me, his princess, off my feet. But admittedly, I thought that way too, he was my prince.

"Darling, Andre and Firmin are insisting on dragging me into the office to discuss buisness." he said as he looked lovingly into my face, seemingly hating the thought of having to leave my side for even five minutes. " But I can decline and tell them they will have to wait until later if you want me too."

I smiled at his sweet concern. "No, you go ahead. They'll never leave you alone if you don't go now. And besides it would be best to have all the financial affairs of the opera in place. I'll be alright, and you'll only be just down the hall."

"If you're sure," he said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "I should be back in a few minutes, but if you need me, don't hesitate to come and get me. Perhaps you will find Meg while I am in the office." he said as he gave me one last hug.

"I won't hesitate to come and find you." I laughed. "Now shoo. Just don't let Andre and Firmin drink an excessive amount of brandy, you know how they get."

He chuckled as he walked away, knowing that that was most certainly true. But as soon as one blonde head left, another approached. Except this one had long hair that curled at the ends.

"Well Madame de Chagny," said Meg jokingly. "How nice of you to grace us with your presence." she said as she came over to hug me.

"Meg!" I exclaimed, my voice ecstatic at the sight of my good and loyal friend. "How are you?"

"Well not much has changed since I last saw you three months ago, well except for this. I'm so excited to be back, its like old times." said the ballerina as she linked arms with me and the two of us walked along until we came upon on of the spots backstage where we always used to sit and talk.

"This is so wonderful, to be back here," I replied. "I've really missed singing, and this opera house, and seeing everyone."

"So have I," said Meg, her green eyes full of life. "So how are things with Raoul?" she asked curiously.

I found an inevitable smile spreading across my face at this. "Oh Meg, our marriage only gets better by the day. I don't know what I would have done without him after..." I stopped, finding that even the mention of what had happened on the night of Don Juan seemed to still have a bad effect on me, especially here in ths opera house.

Meg put a comforting arm around my shoulder. "Raoul has truly been a blessing. And never forget that mother and I are here for you as well."

"I won't ever forget that. I'm just lucky to have such a loving and supportive circle of people around me." I looked up at Meg, and instantly appreciated what a wonderful friend she had been to me.

Just then, we both heard a shrill voice ring through the air.

"Meg Giry! If you plan to keep the posistion of prima ballerina you ought to take care to not be late for practice." It was obviously the voice of Madame Giry, who was advancing towards us.

"Meg, you are the prima ballerina and you did not even bother to tell me?" I asked.

She blushed, embarrassed. "Its not that important."

"Of course it is! Now both of our dreams have come true; you've become the leading ballerina, and I've become the leading singer. It hardly seems possible." I cried as I hugged her in congratulations.

Madame Giry, who had now reached our perch, echoed my words. "Of course it is important! Now get to practice, the others are waiting for you."

Meg got up and bid me goodbye as she ran en pointe towards the ballet room. Madame Giry then turned to me.

"Christine my dear, how good it is to see you," said the woman who was so like a mother to me as she envleoped me in an embrace. "I must get to practice, but Raoul has graciously invited us to dinner tommorow evening, so Meg and I shall see you then."

"That sounds lovely," I answered. "We will catch up then." I watched the stern but kind woman as she walked away, her black cane clinking as she walked, and her long braid hanging down her back. 

I wondered fleetingly if the good woman knew whether or not Erik still roamed these fabled halls of music, but I decided to save those thoughts for later. There was no need for worry when there was no course for it. As I walked back up towards the stage, I waved goodbye and promised to see them all next week when rehearsals were set to begin. Then as I stepped onto the empty stage, I thought back to the many times that I had danced on it. I began to twirl around the stage, thinking of the the first time that I had made my singing debut here in this theater, singing an aria from Hannibal. I smiled broadly as I remembered that night. The night of my debut, and the night that I had found Raoul again. It had been a life changing day to be sure, but a fantastic one. I began sing softly:

"Think of me, Think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye..."

It was then that I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. I turned, only to see an ever so familiar figure, a figure clothed all in black, standing before me.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope that you like this chapter! I know that it is a cliffhanger, but I will try to have the next chapter up in a few days. I'm very excited about this story, and I hope that you will read and review! Yay RC!

Guitarprincess- Thanks for all of your support on all of my stories, my friend! I'm glad that you liked my other stories, and I hope that you will like this one as well. It will be filled with RC goodness of course.

Glitter Queen of the Ice show- Yes, Raoul is very sexy! I'm glad that you like it so far. And by the way, I'm loving the stories that you have written lately.

Amethyst- I'm so glad to see another RC supporter, and I'm so happy that you like this. Thanks for the review!

jtbwriter- Thanks for the review. And it is certainly encouraging to hear that the emotions of my characters are believable, it helps me to continue writing. I'm so pleased that you like my story so far!

Randomish- I am pleased to hear that you think my story is original. But I must say this: Raoul is not a fop in any way, shape, or form. I personally love Raoul, so please try not to insult him. But I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion. Thanks for the review. 


	4. Realized fears

Let daylight dry your tears 

Chapter 4: Realized fears

My breath caught in my throat and my heart was pounding in my chest. He was the first to speak.

"So Christine my angel, you have returned." he said in a quiet, awed voice. I noticed that his mask was now black.

"Yes, I have," I said as I removed my shoulder from his light grip, my brown eyes boring into his hazel ones. "I did not know that you had as well." I backed away from him.

"But of course I have, I only left for a short while. How could I leave the only place that held memories of you?" he replied, his voice silky and bittersweet.

I didn't answer him. For some reason now, I no longer felt so afraid of him, the feeling of terror was not so overwhelming. I had always felt sorry for having hurt him, I truly had, but now there was a new emotion growing in the pit of my stomach... anger. It seemed that all the times I had been in Erik's presence I had either been under his seemingly hypnotic spell, or I had been worried and frightened at his violent actions. I remembered the feelings and emotions that I had experienced the last night that I had seen Erik as though it had been yesterday.

I had been so hurt as I finally realized his deceptions, and so shocked at his desperation, and his lonliness, that I hardly had time to feel anger.

"Can you not answer me Christine?" said Erik, a hint of sadness now in his tone. "You have not seen me since that night when I allowed you to go with that boy, and you cannot speak! You left me broken Christine." His eyes were filled with a desperate fire that conveyed the impression that his thoughts had been consumed with nothing but me for the past year.

I stared at this man, for I had no doubts now that he was in fact nothing but a man, whom I had once believed to be my angel of music. I had cared for him as my teacher, and I had felt a strange sense of compassion for him yes, but it had never been anything more than that. And now I simply could not believe that he had the nerve to tell me what I had done wrong.

"You speak of me breaking you Erik?" I said, trying to keep my voice down so that the people backstage would not overhear. "You decieved me for so many years, you had me believing in the lie that you had been sent by my father. You tried to murder the man that I loved, and then attempted to force me to make a decision that no one should ever be forced to make. I never wanted to hurt you Erik, but you forced me too." I stopped, as I found that my eyes were filling with tears as my mind relived all of these memories.

I shook as I tried to control my emotions. I suddenly longed for nothing more than Raoul's protective embrace. It was then that I noticed Erik moving towards me, his face giving the image that he was about to start singing, perhaps thinking that some part of me would still fall victim to his spell. I felt fear begin to creep along my veins, slowly overtaking my mind. If he kidnapped me, would I ever be able to escape? Perhaps he thought that if he captured me and never let me go, then he could force my feelings to change.

"In sleep I sang to you, in dreams I came..." He began to sing, his deep baritone voice sounding no different than it had since I had last heard its smooth, clear notes.

I backed away, but I knew that this was a mental fight. I willed my mind to not fall under his power. I thought of the last year, and of the calm, peaceful days spent at the sea with Raoul. This tactic seemed to work quite well at first, but as my former teacher continued to sing, I found myself being consumed with darkness, and I unconsciously began to move towards him. Now instead of hearing the soft waves of the sea, I could only hear the hypnotic words of his song. This was all in my head, why couldn't I simply will it to go away? It was then, as I felt myself falling completely under Erik's spell, that I heard a voice, the voice of my savior ring out.

"Christine!" cried Raoul as I felt my trance fall. My head pounded from the mental battle, and I started to fall, but Raoul caught me by the arms from behind. I turned to see confusion and panic in my beloved's soft blue eyes.

"Are you alright," he asked in a gentle tone. " I was talking with Andre' and Firmin when I got a strange notion that something was wrong. What is going on?" his eyes shifted from my face to Erik's jet black mask and I saw his expression change. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone hard.

Erik smirked at Raoul, as he he came toward us with a swish of his cloak. "I could ask you the same thing de Chagny. You always manage to get in my way." The man who was called the Phantom stopped, only inches from where we stood.

Raoul stepped in front of me, silently bidding me to stay back. "I thought that you had let us go monsieur, but it appears that you are taking back that moment of compassion."

"I decided that it was a mistake. I should have killed you when I had the chance." said Erik. "Then my angel would have been mine, and the music of the night would have lived on."

Raoul's eyes widened in fury, and I felt him grasp my hand tightly, as though afraid that I would dissapear at any moment. My breathing became fast paced, as I felt that there was a confrontation ahead, and that was something that I had never wished to witness again.

"But if you had done that monsieur," replied Raoul, trying to keep his voice calm for my sake. "Then you would have been forcing her to do something that would have made her unhappy. If you claim to care for her, do you really want to take away the happiness she has just so recently achieved?" Raoul's voice raised, and shook with feeling.

I squeezed Raoul's hand as he said this, for it was so true. It had taken so long after my father's death and after all of the events at the opera for me to regain my sense of happiness and life.

"You do not understand," breathed Erik. "And you never will Vicomte. Christine belongs to me." he said firmly.

"She belongs to no one!" said Raoul, his eyes now full of a valiant fire that seemed unquenchable. The two looked ready to lunge at each other, until voices could be heard coming towards the theater.

An infuriated and annoyed expression came across Erik's face as the voices came closer. A wave of relief came over me, for I knew that Erik did not want to be found. A confrontation had been avoided, at least for now.

"This is not over," breathed Erik. "You had best watch out for my punjab lasso monsieur." he said as he glared at Raoul. "I will have the love of my angel." His eyes met mine one last time as he dissapeared in a flash of fire.

I pulled Raoul into an embrace, longing to feel the warmth, security, and familiariy that it brought to me. For a moment, I could not believe that our worst fear had come true; Erik had returned. But there was something in Raoul's touch that told me that it would be alright. We broke apart as we heard the voices; those of Andre' and Firmin, right beside us.

"What happened?" Both exclaimed at once. "We heard a racket in here, and we were concerned after you left the office in a dash Raoul."

Raoul sighed and looked at the managers gravely. "I know you will not want to believe this, but the Phantom has returned."

The two looked at us as though we were insane. I felt quite sorry for them; they had worked so hard to rebuild this opera, and to hear news such as that would be devestating.

"What are you talking about Vicomte?" asked Firmin uneasily. "Of course he hasn't."

"I assure you he has, we just saw him with our very eyes." said Raoul. "But now I must be getting Christine home. We shall see you soon." And with that, Raoul took my hand and we exited the theater, leaving the managers with shocked expression on their faces.

We spent a good deal of the carriage ride home in silence, as though we didn't know what to say, or what to make of what had just happened. I gazed at the sun setting behind the treetops, and felt the cool evening breeze on my face as Raoul guided the horses onward, their feet pattering on the cobbled streets. Raoul was the first to speak.

"Christine?" he asked quietly. "I'm sorry that I took so long in the office with Andre' and Firmin, I should have never left your side. I should have known this would happen. When I stepped inside that theater, I was so afraid that he was going to take you with him, and that I was too late."

I moved up closer to where he stood at the head of the carriage, and I could tell by his tone that he was fighting back tears. I stood up next to him, and put my hand on his. He always blamed himself for everything, constantly putting the weight of he world on his shoulders."Raoul none of this was your fault. You saved me. It was your voice that pulled me out of my trance." I said sincerely.

He smiled over at me, and I knew from the look in his eyes that he believed my words. After a few more minutes, we pulled up in front of the de Chagny estate, and walked inside our charming, white shingled, blue shuttered house. Once in the door, our butler Jacque took our coats, and we sat in front of the crackling fire and I instantly felt better. I leaned my head on Raoul's shoulder, and he put his strong arms around me. We had many things to discuss when the next day arrived yes, such as what to do at the opera now that Erik had returned, and how to relay the news to our friends, and worry about what Erik was up to next. But for now, we had the comfort of each other's undying love, and we let the warmth of the fire dry our tears.  
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A/N: Hey everyone! I hope that you like this chapter! I know that it seems kind of cleshae right now, but that is going to change in the very next chapter! Please read and review.

Glitter Queen of the Ice show-Yay, Raoul saved the day! Thanks for the review! Hope to see your stories updated soon!

Guitarprincess- I'm glad you liked it! Ya, I plan for Meg to play a large part in this story.

jtbwriter-Yes, Erik is much more dangerous than a fly! But never fear, Raoul and Christine will have many very happy times in this story! Thanks for the review!

Amethyst- I'm glad that you liked the chapter! And thanks for the tidbits on the accents and the Vicomtesse bit, I can always use help on that, as I hardly know any French. I've always thought it would be interesting to study though. And yes, Raoul is rather like Price Charming from Disney, I wish I could find a guy like that!

Siapa nama saya- Thanks for the review and the constructive criticism. I can always use help and comments to improve my writing, and yours I believe will truly help me to do that. I hope that you like the rest of the story!


	5. A friendly and informative dinner

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 5: A friendly and informative dinner

Raoul's POV

It had been a mere twenty- four hours since the incident with the Phantom and I could already sense the change that it brought in Christine. She seemed much more nervous and uptight, and she jumped at hearing footsteps in the hallway. But it was strange you see, for she only acted in this manner during the nighttime hours. During the day she was all aglow, clearly very happy about returning to Paris and to her music. When the sun shone she was herself; the Christine that had found her love of life again; the real Christine. But as the sky darkened she became much more quiet. In fact, she had awoken from a nightmare just the evening before. Her face had been white as a sheet as she had sat straight up in bed. I had just begun to doze off when she had awakened, silently and carefully watching her as she slept. She had jumped out of bed, tears streaming down her face. At first she seemed afraid of my touch, and her eyes were wide, as though she couldn't even recognize me. Eventually however, I coaxed her to me, and managed to calm her down, convincing her to tell me of her dream. As the minutes passed and as she began to speak about her dream, I saw the panicked expression leave her eyes, to be replaced with one of contentedness as her eyes met mine. After a short while, I found that she had fallen asleep in my arms, a smile on her angelic features.

I now sat in the white whicker rocking chair that was placed next to the large bay window in our bedroom, reading the last few chapters of a novel that I had recently begun reading. But as I did this I listened to Christine humming as she finished getting ready, and I contemplated these changes in her during the hours of the sun and moon. Just as I began to turn the page I heard a soft voice behind me.

"Raoul, how do I look?" I turned to see Christine standing there, looking so beautiful that I almost dropped my book. She wore a lovely yellow dress that was decorated with lace and brought out her chocolate eyes. She had pulled half of her curls up with tortiseshell combs, leaving the rest to fall down her back.

"Christine," I said, standing up. "You look radiant."

Her eyes sparkled at me, as a smile overtook her face. " I hoped you would think so. I'm so excited , we have quite a crowd coming for dinner tonight." She said as she straightened my black tie, and the collar of my white shirt.

"Indeed," I said as I offered her my arm and we walked down the spiraling staircase. "It will be good to catch up with the friends that we have missed while we were away."

She nodded as we reached the dining room, which was had been so finely decorated by our butler Jacque that we both gasped at seeing it. The long glass table was covered in a fine white table cloth with sliver and gold embroidery, and the mahogany chairs had been polished until they shone. There were several candles placed on the table, which cast a soft and pleasant light through the room. It looked so inviting and warm that I hoped it made Christine feel more at home as the sun began to set.

"It looks lovely dosen't it Raoul?" she asked softly. "Jacque has really outdone himself this time."

"Yes he has. I'm glad that you like it my love." I replied as I heard the doorbell ring. I noticed that Christine jumped a little at the sudden noise, but she seemed to calm after just a minute. We walked to the front door and opened it to see my older brother Phillipe standing there, a grand smile on his face.

"Raoul, Christine!" he exclaimed jovially. "How good to see you!" He enveloped me in a brotherly hug and then kissed Christine's cheek as he took off his navy overcoat.

I smiled at my brother as he began to chat with Christine. He had practically raised me himself after our parents deaths and had managed the family finances almost completely by himself. He had always been a father figure to me, for he was twenty years my senior. He had always liked Christine, but it had taken a bit of convincing at first when I had announced that I was going to marry her. He had been worried what the aristocratic society's reaction might be to our marriage, afraid that they might shun both Christine and myself. But after seeing how in love Christine and I were he put away his objections, and now Christine and he were like brother and sister. We made our way into the living room to wait for the others to arrive, and took a seat on the maroon colored loveseat.

"I'm so thrilled that the two of you are back in Paris," said Phillipe sincerely. "I trust that things are going well at the opera?"

I nodded." It looks as though the fire never happened Phillipe, you should really come and see it."

"And I shall, I would never miss Christine's astounding singing." he said as he winked at Christine who laughed at his comical expression. " I'm just relieved that that Phantom fellow hasn't shown back up, I don't want anything happening to the two of you."

It was a good thing that the doorbell rang at precisely that moment, so that niether Christine or I would have to reply to that statement. We would of course tell Phillipe later, but tonight was supposed to be fun and relaxing, and bringing up the subject of the Phantom was the oppossite of that. We had given Jacque and our maid Caroline the night off, so Christine went and answered the door, obviously wanting to get away from any mention of Erik. She came back in just moments later with Meg and Madame Giry following behind. I rose to greet them, giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

"Phillipe, I'm sure that you remember Antionette Giry and her daughter Meg?" asked Christine.

"Of course," said Phillipe bowing. "It is a pleasure to see the both of you again."

I looked down at my watch, reading that it was seven o'clock sharp. We were expecting one more guest; my best friend Lucien. But knowing him as I did, I knew he would be late.

"Christine, why don't you take everyone into the dining room while I wait in here for Lucien to arrive? He shouldn't be too much longer."

She chuckled as my words." He is always late for everything isn't he? He was almost late for our wedding and he was the best man!" She bent down to give me a quick kiss, and then ushered Meg, Madame Giry, and Phillipe into the dining room.

I sat down in my favorite armchair, smiling widely. Christine seemed much better tonight than she had the night before, and I knew that seeing our friends was helping that along. I wanted this return to Paris to be perfect for her. I waited a few more minutes, and was beginning to feel quite impatient when I heard the doorbell ring once again. I shook my head and laughed as I went to open the door, wondering what far-fetched excuse Lucien would come up with this time. As the door swung open, I found a grinning, but slightly out of breath Lucien in front of me.

"How nice of you to show up my friend," I said sarcastically as we gave each other a bear hug. "What took you so long?"

"You wouldn't believe it Raoul, the wheel on my carriage broke and I had to walk the rest of the way here." he said as he stepped inside, shaking his shaggy auburn hair out of his eyes.

I gave him a skeptical, nonbelieving look to which he gave a deep laugh. "Alright you got me. I just let the time get away from me. I don't think I've ever been on time for anything in my life, and thats not about to change." he said, his green eyes sparkling with mirth.

"You're certainly right about that. Come on, everyone else is already in the dining room. We've got a lot to catch up on."

"That sure is true. Raoul, don't ever leave Paris for such long period of time again, its been terribly boring without you, my friend." said Lucien with a grin.

I looked over at Lucien with a chuckle. The two of us had been best friends since before I even met Christine at the tender age of seven. The three of us had played together, and even then Lucien had said that Christine and I would get married someday. The funny thing was, is that he had been right. After Christine left, Lucien had been there for me, always making me laugh. We went to school together, and then to college. He was there when I was reunited with Christine, and was the best man at our wedding. There had never been and experience that we hadn't shared with each other. We talked until we reached the dining room, where everyone was looking most anxious to begin the meal.

"Bonjour everyone," said Lucien as he took a seat next to Phillipe, not showing the slightest bit of embarrasment at being late.

"Lucien, is it possible for you to be on time to anything?" asked Christine with mock irritation, as she supressed a laugh.

"Christine my dear, you know me better than that, I shall never be on time; it is simply not in my nature."

Phillipe nodded and shook his head, a half smile on his face. "Lucien you have not changed at all since you were a child."

"Ah, Phillipe it is best to grow old without growing up." said Lucien matter of factly.

This drew a laugh from all as we said the blessing and began to eat our meal of filet mingon and potatoes. The conversation went in many directions, but it finally rested on a subject that both Christine and I were glad to discuss.

"So have the two of you given any thought to children yet?" asked Madame Giry curiously. "I should like to know if there are any grandchildren from you two in my future, for any children of yours I would consider to be my grandchildren."

I noticed Christine blush slightly as she placed her hand in mine under the table. "I should like to start a family soon. I can't wait to have children."

"I second that." I replied as I squeezed her hand.

"Speaking of such things," said Phillipe. "Lucien, have you met anyone you've thought of marrying?"

Lucien sighed. "Alas I have not. Sometimes I wonder if I am doomed to be a bachelor forever."

"Don't be silly monsieur," said Meg suddenly. "There's someone out there for everyone."

As she said this, I noticed the two of them lock eyes for a moment, then both turned away, blushing. I raised an eyebrow. It would be incredibly nifty if Meg and Lucien took an interest in each other. My best friend and Christine's best friend? I made a mental note to ask Lucien about it later, and noticed that Christine seemed to have caught the moment between them as well. Dinner continued on for a little while longer, after which we retired to the living room for coffee. Though it was March, there was a cold snap going on in Paris, so we got a fire going in the hearth. We all enjoyed the hot coffee and each other's company, glad to be reunited. All was peaceful until Phillipe, who had been thumbing through the evening paper, ran a hand over his dark blonde, greying hair, and let out a rather loud "Oh my!"

"What is it Phillipe?" I asked in a curious tone. It took a lot to ruffle my brother's feathers that much.

"It says here that there has been a string of robberies by a band of gypsies over the past few nights. Apparently, they have already robbed three prominent families in Paris." he said, sounding worried. "It says here that they even killed one man."

My eyes widened. How horrible that was! But something also clicked in my mind at this. I remembered the story that Madame Giry had told me. Could it be those same gypsies? I would have to look into it. And as I caught both Christine's and Madame Giry's eyes, I knew they were thinking the same thing.

" I heard about that." said Lucien. "That man that was killed was a friend of my father's."

Meg too, glanced over at the paper. "Some of these families have become patrons of the Opera Populaire. This is awfully curious." Her green eyes became filled with an expression of worry. "All of you might want to be careful."

"It says here that they seem to rob someone of greater wealth each time." said Christine, as she read along on the article, and seemed to unconsciously move a bit closer to me.

I looked over at Phillipe, who seemed to be quite worried about this. It was no small secret that our family had been one of the most wealthy and influential families in Paris for decades. He caught my eye, knowing that I was tuned in to how he was feeling about all of this. But he didn't say anything more about it, and I knew he was trying not to worry me; it was one of those things that elder brothers always tried to do. The conversation eventually turned in different directions, such as the next opera production, the opera grand opening, and Phillipe's law firm with whom I would soon be joining ranks. And as was the norm, Lucien cracked constant jokes throughout. The evening passed most pleasantly, and as I watched Christine chat talk with the others, I was almost positive that our return to Paris had been a good idea. Little did I know what that newspaper article held in store for us.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, hows it goin! Thanks so much for all of the response that you've given me, it really inspires me to write. Sorry its taken me so long to update, school is crazy, and I've been busy finishing up my college applications. Also a I have a cool piece of news; my friend and I are singing 'Angel of Music' (the Meg and Christine one) for drama club at my school, so that will be exciting. I hope that you guys like this chapter, and please read and review! Thanks to all my reviewers: Guitarprincess, Glitter Queen of the Ice Show, jtbwriter, Ameythst, and Lindaleriel. I'm in a rush, so I don't have time to answer reviews, but I will next time, I promise! RC forever! 


	6. A startling rehearsal

Let daylight dry your tears

Chapter 6: A startling rehearsal

Raoul's POV

A week or so passed after our return to the opera and our dinner with our friends. I kept a close watch on the papers and the most recent news on the gypsy robberies. There had been two more burglaries, and one woman had been injured during the past five days, and the Parisian authorities had no new leads. One of those robbed had been a former colleauge of Phillipe's, which had caused him to be ever the more nervous about the situation. I tried my best to reassure him, hoping that I could calm him down, and it seemed to help a bit. But I could tell that he was worried that the troupe would come after us next. All this aside however, there was quite a bit of excitement in our household, for today was the first day of rehearsal for Hannibal. Andre and Firmin had chosen to perform this particular opera for two reasons; first because it was very popular among opera goers, and secondly because many in the cast had performed it previously, and therefore the performance could be scheduled earlier.

The managers had reported that there had been no disturbances from the Phantom while the finishing touches had been put on the theater over the past week. The word had spread however, that the masked man still lingered in the cellars of the opera, so amongst the joy and anticipation of the Populaire's reopening, there was the smallest bit of apprehension among the cast and crew. I now sat upon one of the navy blue velvet covered chairs inside the theater, watching this first rehearsal progress. It was ironic, for they were working on the very same scene that they had been working on when Andre and Firmin had taken over managment of the opera just over a year ago, the same day that I had found Christine again. Christine stood in the center of the stage, wating for her part as the chorus entered with the young man who was playing Hannibal. His name was Pierre, and he was only a few years older than myself, being about twenty five. And he sang with much more flare and talent than Piangi, bless his soul, ever had.

They were just doing a quick run through of the first few scenes today, but as Christine began to sing the role of Elissa, I began to lose myself in the music. Her voice was so beautiful, so pure, and so heavenly to my ears. I had been attending operas for as long as I could remember, and I was quite sure that no voice had ever matched hers. This of course caused my mind to rheel with thoughts of her former teacher. I knew and respected that he was a musical genius, and I knew as well that the advancement of Christine's voice was due in part to him. But I believed that Christine's amazing talent came from another important source; not only did she sing from her diaphram, she sang from her very soul. Her father had taught her that. I watched for a good while longer until I heard someone sit down next to me, and I looked up in surprise to see Lucien's grinning face.

"Hello there Raoul, are you enjoing the rehearsal?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Well, yes." I said distractedly. "But what brings you here? You've never cared very much for the theater. I recall the only way I could ever convice you to come to an opera was by promising to go out for a drink later. The only time you ever came by your own choice was on the occassions when Christine was singing last year." I looked at him curiouly, wondering what he was up too.

"Yes, well coming to the opera involves me having to talk to a lot of my parents friends that I don't really care for. But you're right, you have had to drag me from amongst my books to come to the theater. But I've recently taken an interest in this theater that you have always loved so much." His voice drifted off as the dancers came on stage and Meg began to dance her solo.

Christine, who happened to shoot a glance at the theater as she sang, noticed Lucien's presence and gave me an amused and questioning look. As Meg's solo ended, Lucien looked back over at me, a slightly dazed look in his green eyes.

"Raoul, have you ever had the feeling that when you're with a certain person, it feels as though all is right with the world? You know what I'm talking about, you've been married for a year."

I smiled slightly as I answered him. Christine and I had been right; Lucien was falling for Meg. "Of course I have my friend," I responded. "I feel that way every time I set eyes on Christine."

It was quiet between us for a moment, which was abnormal for Lucien. I didn't want to pressure him into telling me about Meg until he was ready; but I knew that when he was, I would be the first to know. I contiued to watch as the rehearsal wound down, glad that it seemed to be going quite well. I heard Lucien begin to speak, but before he could even utter the first sentence, a most strange and chilling event occured. All at once, every single source of light in the theater was extinguished, leaving everything in absolute darkness. It suddenly became so cold that a shiver ran down my spine. Monsieur Reyer stopped playing the piano and there were a few startled screams from the chorus girls.

"Dam and blast, what happened?" asked Lucien, sounding irritated that this sudden event had interrupted what he was about to tell me.

"I'm not sure," I murmured slowly as I stood up and began to quickly make my way up to the stage to find Christine. I had a feeling that I knew what, or rather who was responsible for this, but the only thought that raced through my mind was to get to Christine before the opera ghost had a chance to take her, which I was sure was his plan. I would not let her be enveloped by the darkness again, I absolutey refused. I had promised her, and I would never break that vow. Even though it was pitch black inside the room, I could just make out the stage in front of me. I leapt onto it, trying to avoid running into any of the cast members. My feet landed with a soft thud on the wood.

"Christine?" I called out into darkness, hoping desperately for a reply. Much to my relief, there was one.

"Raoul is that you?" came her soft voice directly beside me. It shook with an uneasy fear, sounding as though part of her were ashamed to be afraid. I sighed inwardly, she had always been so brave in the face of all of this, and I wanted to let her know that it was okay for her to feel frightened.

"Yes, my darling it is me." I said soothingly as I reached for her delicate hand. "Stay close. I don't know what has happened, but this does not bode well."

I could hear the whispers of the ballet girls as Madame Giry's stern but motherly voice beckoned them towards her. It was deadly quiet for a moment, as though no one, not even Andre or Firmin dared to speak. I pulled Christine to me; if the Phantom was behind this, it would be over my dead body that he took her. But the awful silence was was broken as a laugh, a terrible, maniacal, laugh resounded throughout the room. It seemed to shake the entire therater, and it sent dread to the hearts of all who were present. There was no douct to whom that voice belonged. But no one was prepared for what happened next. Just as someone was able to light a single candle, I heard a rope swish through the air and brush the top of my head. As though it were now an instinct, I held my hand up to the level of my eyes before the accursed object could secure itself around my neck.

Christine let out a horrified gasp, and sqeezed my hand tightly, leading me away from the rope that now hung from the rafters, swinging wildly. As more and more candles were lit, I could see how wide her brown eyes had become, and there were tears welling up in them.

"Oh, my God!" exclaimed Andre frantically, as though he did not want to believe it. "He really has returned!"

"It seems that way." said Madame Giry gravely. "I believe that is quite enough for today."

As she said this however, a letter fell from above us, floating slowly down. I recognized it instantly, by the oninous red skull that served as a seal. Madame Giry instantly ushered the ballet girls off of the stage, obviously not wanting them to hear a word that the letter said, as the dancers were so prone to gossip. The letter landed directly in front of Christine's feet, and she picked it up, her hand shaking so badly that she almost dropped it. Everyone left on stage instantly gathered around, as Christine handed the letter to Meg to read.

"Dear cast and crew of the newly refinished Opera Populaire: Congratulations on repairing the damage from last year, the opera house looks magnificent, I commend you. I am quite glad to see that you have placed Christine in the leading role; that is one thing that we will not have to argue over. But you see, Hannibal is not the opera that you will be performing. After the fire destroyed Don Juan, I was really very devestated. But over the past year, I have written a new version of it, and this time it will be finished. My angle shall of course play Aminta, and I shall inform you of the other roles as soon as possible.  
Yours sincerely,  
O.G."

Meg stopped, her voice shocked. I noticed that Lucien was next to her, looking as though he was looking for a way to make her feel better. The faces of all on the stage were distraught, and Christine looked as though she might faint. I could only imagine what was going on in her head when the mere thought of performing Don Juan was mentioned.

"Monsieurs," I said quietly to Andre and Firmin. "What are you going to do?"

"I shall tell you what we will do," said Firmin, his face looking quite angry at the fact that Erik had once again disturbed his plans for the opera. "We will not perform this opera! I absolutely refuse! We shall progress as planned tommorow. I suggest that everyone should go home." He stalked off, and cosidering the mood he was in, no one was going to stop him.

Everyone slowly filtered off of the stage, leaving only Christine, myself, Lucien, Meg, and Madame Giry.

"Raoul," said Lucien in a serious tone, which was rare for him. "That rope was awfully close to wrapping itself around your neck. You ought to be careful around here."

Madame Giry nodded in solemn agreement. "Yes, you must watch your every step. I can see that Erik is as determined as ever to do away with you and have Christine."

I looked over at Christine, who seemed to be growing paler by the minute. She looked up at me, her eyes asking for comfort. "Raoul," she whispered. "May we please go home?"

"Yes, we may Lotte." I answered her, wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders.

We bid goodbye to the three of them, and all three promised to come calling tommorow, to discuss this situation. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, after dinner, I found Christine standing on the marble balcony outside our master bedroom. Her white nightgown blew slightly in the breeze, and the full moon illiminated her face, making her truly look like an angel with mahogany hair. I came up behind her and wrapped a gentle arm around her waist, and pulled her close. I loved her so much that I broke my heart into a million tiny pieces to see her so sad and confused. She deserved to be happy forever and for always, and I would do whatever I could to make sure that happened. I did not want this incident to scare her away from her music that she loved so very much, and I often wondered if the phantom realized that what he was doing frightened her so. She leaned her head on my chest, and we stood there for a few minutes, and I was so glad to have her safe in my arms.

"Raoul," she said suddenly. "I must confess that part of me is reluctant to return to the opera after what happened today. If anything were to happen to you my life simply wouldn't be worth living. I thought that Erik had changed on that night a year ago, I don't understand why he is doing this again." She turned to look at me, brushing a stray blond hair from my face.

"I do not understand either my love, but I can say that I don't want this to keep you from your singing. You love it Christine, and you have such a gift. And I promise, that no matter what may happen, I will protect you, and I will do whatever you ask concerning this." I said, as we watched a shooting star fly across the sky.

She smiled at me, and I felt my heart racing; her smile made me want to melt. "You're right mon amour," she said. "We will get through this together. I love you Raoul, my knight in shining armor."

"I love you too Little Lotte." I grinned as we sank in to a kiss, the words to our song playing in my mind, and I knew they were playing in Christine's as well.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope that you like this! I know everything seems topsy turvy right now, but in a few chaps, everything will come together and it will all make sense. This chapter feautured the dark Erik, and he will become mroe prominent in later chapters, and you will se changes in him, but I can't tell you why! There are some big surprises in store for this story! Thanks for the reviews! RC forever and for always!

jtbwriter- Yay for Raoul, he is very patient and loving. I'm glad that you liked it. As for the gypsies, well, you shall see! Thanks for the review!

Ameythys fluff- I'm glad that you liked it, and yes the plot is certainly starting to develop. Ya, I thought it might be neat for Meg and Lucien to get together, so we shall see how that goes! Thanks!

Guitarprinces- Thankyou so much for all of you support on all of my works, you ahve truly been an inspiration. Ya, I really like Lucien too, so I decided to use him in this story as well. And yay for RC fluff, can't live without it! Oh, and believe me, I will need that good luck on my college stuff and my singing, thanks for that!

Glitter Queen of the ice show- Yes, Erik is up to something, but I will not tell you what yet! I shall leave you in suspense. Thanks! 


	7. Conflicts and resolutions

Let daylight dry your tears

Chapter 7: Conflicts and resolutions

Raoul's POV

The next day was beautiful one. It was warm and pleasane outside, with just a hint of a breeze blowing through the oak trees on our drive. It was around four o'clock or so in the afternoon, and we had just returned from the opera house. There had been no strange incidents today, much to everyone's relief. Since it was such a lovely day Christine and I had decided to to go to an early dinner at a quaint outdoor cafe's taht we had discovered. I was waiting outside as I readied the horses, taking in the fresh November air. I smiled as I gazed upon our home. It was a white victorian style house with a wrap-around porch that was so popular these days. It had red shutters and stained glass in the front door.

It was located just outside the city and had a barn and trails to ride on. The vast acres were green with rolling hills, and even had a small pond at the end of the riding trail. It was truly the home that Christine and I had always dreamed of; the perfect house to begin to raise a family of our own. The horses stomped their hooves impatiently as though they were anxious to get moving. A few moments later, I heard the front door close and saw Christine coming out of it, softly singing the tune to 'Think of Me'. She donned a floaty pink dress, and on her shoulders there rested a long white cloak to keep out the slight winter chill. She had left all of her curls down, and had applied very subtle cosmetics. The eager smile on her face reminded me of our childhood days that had been spent running on the beach and gazing at the stars. She came towards me and gave me a quic k kiss on the cheek , a light in those eyes that always seemed to hold a secret message.

"Raoul,. I'm looking quite forward to this. It will be nice to get away from all that has happened as of late, and have a dinner with just the two of us." she said as I helped her into the carriage.

"Indeed it will, darling." I said as I too climbed in. "And if we see anyone we know, we shall duck and run." I grinned.

She laughed sunnily at this remark. But just as I took the leather reins in my hands, a carriage bearing my family crest pulled up.

"What is Phillipe doing here at this hour?" asked Christine curiously.

"I have no idea." I replied, a bit disgruntled. I was almost sure that this had something to do with Phillipe worrying about me.

I hopped down from the carriage and went to greet Phillipe. He gave me the usual brotherly hug, but when he pulled back I could see that he looked rather frazzled.

"Phillipe," I said, worried now. "You look rather distraught." Christine too, climbed down from the carriage, a concerned expression on her features.

"I must say that I am Raoul. There has been yet another robbery by those damnable gypsies, and the man who was robbed was a partner in my firm!" he said exaperatedly.

"Was he hurt?" asked Christine as she grasped my hand.

"Not badly, thankfully." said Phillipe. "But that is not the only thing that is on my mind. I heard something quite disconcerting about the events at the opera house yesterday."

I gaped at my brother. How was it that he managed to find out anything and everything that went on in this city?

"The Phantom made an appearance, that is all." I said, trying to give him the least worriesome version. My brother had enough on his plate, and I didn't want him fretting about this.

"That is certainly not what I heard from Andre and Firmin when I ran into them yesterday. They informed me that he made an attempt on your life, and he insisted that his opera be performed! Firmin looked quite ruffled about it all. He kept mumbling about how he wasn't going to let the Phantom kidnap his Primma Donna, or set his opera on fire ever again."

"Phillipe you needn't worry about it." I began, but before I could finish he interrupted.

"Not worry!" he exploded. "There is a madman roaming the opera halls, and gypsies robbing all the wealthy of Paris, and you tell me not to worry! You and Christine are the most important people in the world to me, and I will not have anything happen to you." He stopped, trying to catch his breath.

"We'll be alright Phillipe," said Christine calmly as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll be careful"

He gave her a slight smile, bout shook his dark blonde head. "I am going to strongly suggest that the both of you leave Paris."

I stared at my elder brother unbelievingly. Leave Paris? We had just gotten settled in! It had taken the both of us so long to be able to permanently return to Paris, and to our lives. Christine was finally back in the opera buisness, and I was to begin work at Phillipe's law firm tommorow; and I refused to give that up now.

"No Phillipe," I said quietly. "We are happy and content here in Paris; we won't be leaving."

Phillipe looked at me, seemingly shocked that I had defied his words. His hazel eyes were clouded with worry, but now frustration was added to that.

"I am you brother Raoul, and you will do as I say." He replied, his tone firm.

I felt a tinge of anger begin to lace my words as I answered. "And I am a grown man Phillipe! I am twenty, not seven. Christine and I will be staying here, and I will report to the office tommorow as planned." I said, a bit more heatedly than I had intended.

Phillipe looked at me with an incredulous expression, his forehead wrinkled, and his fists clenched. His eyes seemed to hold a fiery expression. "Raoul de Chagny, you shall do as I say. When mother and father passed away I promised that I would take care of you, and I shall hold to it!1"

I felt the anger welling up inside me, fighting its battle wit htthe guilt that was building up for defying my brother.

"Phillipe," I said trying to remain calm. "You are and always shall be my brother, and I shall always listen and probably most often take your advice, but as for this, I really think it best that we stay here. I shall not run for fear of what could happen." I stopped, trying to read my brother's face, trying to discern what was going on inside his mind. It was then that the soft voice of my beloved wife spoke up, cutting through the tension.

"You may check on us as often as you like Phillipe, for I agree that there are some dangerous things going on, but the two of you fighting is not right and I don't like seeing it. Besides, arguing solves nothing." she said seriously.

I smiled at her, my eyes thanking her for her wisdom and her patience. She always seemed to know how to settle problems and just how to make things better.

"Christine is right Phillipe, Fighting will do us no good."

I saw his expression soften, and saw the anger leave his eyes. He sighed as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Raoul, I had no intention of getting short with you." He said apologetically. "I simply can't help worrying about you. You and Christine mean everything to me, and when I heard about what happened at the opera, I had to come. I almost lost you last year Raoul and I do not wish to go through that again." he said, his voice slightly shaky, as though he were trying to fight back tears.

"I promise that Christine and I will be very careful, and as Christine said, you may check in on us whenever you like. I'm sorry for yelling, you know how my temper is. But you needn't worry so Phillipe, leave some of that to me." I smiled at him, glad that the argument was over; Phillipe and I had hardly ever really fought.

Phillipe grinned at me, then looked down at his watch and his eyes widened. "Oh my, I am late for a dinner appointment! I must be going!"

He turned and gave Christine a swift kiss on the cheek, wishing her good luck with her singing, and bidding her to be careful. He then proceeded to tousle my hair as he had often done when I was a child, and told me that he was looking forward to my first day of work at the firm tommorow. He bid us goodbye and jumped into the carriage. It took off in a rush, leaving a cloud of dust in the air. I shook my head. I often worried that my brother would give himself a heart attack with his constant anxiety. But God bless him, he always meant well.

Christine and I finally set off to the restaurant, just as the sun began to set, sending sprays of pink and purple across the sky We parked the horses at a stable near the restaurant, and walked the rest of the way to dinner hand in hand. But it was a curious thing, for as we were seated at out table for two, we spotted Meg and Lucien sitting together, just across the way.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope that you like this! I hope to have the next chapter up sooner than this one was, but school is a killer, plus all of my college applications. Okay, just to say some things; This story is mostly movie/musical based, but there are some influences from Leroux. I made Raoul twenty, as he is in the book, and I also took Phillipe from the book, I just opted to keep him alive, as I like his character. Christine is eighteen as she is in the musical. The course of events, however, follow the movie. Erik is a mix of both, having the appearance of the Webber Erik, but having bits of the personality of the Leroux Erik. Raoul, Christine, Meg, and Madame Giry all have the appearances that they do in the movie.Lucien, my original character is twenty as well. There is a good surprise on the way my friends, and the plot is going to thicken even more soon. You will also see a bit more of Erik in future chapters. Thankyou so much to all of my reviewers, it is you who keep me going. RC forever!

jtbwriter- I'm glad that you liked it! I am also glad that you think I'm keeping Raoul true to form, I really want people to see his real character! Thanks so much, I love your reviews, they keep me writing!

Glitter Queen of the Ice Show- Thanks for reviewing, your reviews always make me laugh(Raoul is sexy!) By the way, I love Kidnapped. Speaking of that, Kidnapped was actually one of the things that inspired me to write this story, thought I'd let you know!

Nota Lone- Ya, I'm a big fan of RC. I'm so glad that you like this, I always love to get new reviewers! Sorry about those typos, sometimes I wonder if I'm dyslexic(lol)

Child of the Seine- Ya, you know I couldn't believe how much EC there was when I first started reading Phanfiction. I'm a huge RC supporter, so I'm sticking to my guns! Good luck with your Erik/Madame Giry fic, by the way, I hope to check it out soon! 


	8. A shadowy visitor and a surprise

Let daylight dry your tears

Chapter 8: A shadowy visitor and a surprise

Christine's POV

Two weeks pased as November wound down to a close. There were only two days remaining until opening night, and Monsieur Reyer and Madame Giry were working us to the bone. My throat ached from singing so much, and I was constantly drinking water. Raoul had begun work at Phillipe's law firm, and he was doing quite well. He had court today, so before I went to rehearsal he had entrusted me into the capable hands of Madame Giry, making absolutely sure that she would watch over me.

We had been rehearsing for over three hours now, and I could tell that even Madame Giry was getting a bit irritated with Reyer's perfectionism. The opera was nearly flawless, and he still managed to find the most miniscule of problems. She banged her cane on the stage and the dancers stopped dancing almost the instant that they heard the sound.

"Monsieur Reyer, I believe that this is enough for today. The cast deserves a break, or they will be too exhausted to perform, and Andre and Firmin will lose a great deal of money." said Madame Giry seriously.

"Alright," said the reluctant voice of the conductor. "That will be enough for today. But you should all be here at eight o'clock sharp tommorow morning for a full dress rehearsal."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the long rehearsal had finally come to and end. I smiled as I watched the cast mill about. I was so happy to be back at the opera, it was hard to even explain how wonderful it made me feel. And I simply loved Hannibal, with all of its brightly colored costumes and lovely, powerful music. This cast was undoubtedly one of the best; the chorus and the ballerinas were unbelievable and Pierre, who was playing Hannibal was the best male singer that this opera had ever seen. Well, except for the instance when Erik had made his unexpected appearance in Don Juan.

I walked off of the stage, chatting with various friends as I went. Just as I reached my dressing room door however, I met Meg. She was dressed in her costume from the first act, and her brand new pointe shoes that she had recieved as a gift from her mother when she had gotten the role of Prima ballerina.

"I say Meg Giry you seem to dance with more flare each time I see you. Or is it because you are courting Lucien?" I raised my eyebrows playfully at her as we entered my room.

She grinned shyly as she wiped the perspiration from her face." Perhaps it is Christine. Lucien is such an amazing man. And truthfully," She whispered. "I think I may have fallen for him already. He has invited me to the theater to see a play this evening."

"Well from what Raoul says, you are all Lucien can talk about." I said, seeing Meg's eyes light up with joy.

A knock was then heard at the door and Meg and I turned to see Madame Giry entering, holding my costume from act three. "You two haven't changed a bit I tell you," she said, a bit of a smile on her face. "In here telling secrets and I have no doubt that you are discussing Lucien."

Meg blushed, giving Madame her answer. "He's so sweet Maman, and he is simply hilarious."

I met Madame Giry's eyes and I could see the happiness that was there at Meg finding a suitor, and she had commented to me earlier how interesting it was that Lucien was Raoul's best friend. And even though Meg and Lucien had only met a few weeks ago, they seemed so close already.

"Yes he is quite funny." said Madame with a chuckle. "Now Christine dear I need you too put this costume on so that I can make the final adjustments to it. The performance is the day after tommorow after all."

"I can hardly believe that," I said as I went to change. "Time has flown. Raoul and Lucien are sitting together in box five together by the way."

But as I went to put on the dress, my stomach began to suddenly feel quite ill. I put it on, finding that it was just the tiniest bit more snug than it had been a year and a half ago. I frowned. That was odd, I didn't think that I had gained any weight, but then I chuckled; perhaps Raoul's cooks had been feeding me too well. I stepped back out and Madame began attacking the dress with pins, making sure that it was absolutely perfect.

"This only needs to be let out about half an inch Christine, so I should be through in a few minutes." She looked over at me. "Are you feeling alright dear?" she asked.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired." I lied, not wanting to worry them. The truth was, my stomach was churning.

"Well we'll let you be for a few minutes." said Meg, still looking concerned. "But be watchful Christine, we'll be in the dormitories when you're through changing."

I nodded, noticing that Madame Giry looked around the room a bit before walking out. I knew that she worried that Erik might attempt to kidnap me again. I knew that she still cared about Erik, but she had told me point blank, that under no circumstances would she let him get away with anything like what had happened a year ago. He was still a friend to her, but I was like her daughter, and Raoul was practically her son in law. She had made that very clear.

I turned back towards my vanity and started to pick up my dress when I noticed something that I had not seen before; a letter lay there, accompanied by an ever familiar blood red rose. I looked around the room to see if Erik was in the vicinity, fear threatning to creep through my veins. But I managed to calm myself, and I opened the letter, the wax skull staring up at me. A thin sheet of paper was revealed, with a spidery script written across it. 'Dear Christine,  
I wanted to commend you on your beautiful performances during the rehearsals over the past week, your voice is absolutely magnificent. But it would have better served this new opera of mine, and I am angry that those dimwit managers failed to do as I asked. You ought to tell them of their mistake, and that whether they like it or not, the next opera performed after Hannibal shall be mine! I offer you a chance my angel, to return to me once again, to return to the music of the night. Or perhaps the opera would like to see the Phantom reign again.  
Love from you angel of music,  
Erik.'

I stared at the letter, a minxture of anger and sadness welling up in my soul. I had always felt an odd sense of compassion for this man, but how I wished he would cease to haunt me! This letter seemed to be filled with a bitter anger, sounding much like the Phantom, rather than the man who had allowed Raoul and I to go free. I could almost hear his deep voice as I read the letter. But I decided to play him at his own game. I turned the parchement over, and picked up a quill.

'Dear Erik,  
I shall not return to you. You were once my angel of music, and I do thankyou for what you helped me to get through. But it was a lie Erik, you decieved me completely, leading me to believe that you had been sent by my father. I cared about you as my teacher Erik, but Raoul is the one that is the love of my life, and I tell you now that if you hurt him it will break my heart, and I refuse to let you do that. There is someone out there for you Erik, but it is not me. And until you look into your soul, you will never find peace. I wish you the best Erik,  
Christine de Chagny'

I put down the quill, and left the rose where it lay, showing Erik that I would not accept it. I put my dress back on, and was just going out the door, when my stomach gave a lurch. I stopped and leant over, as I proceeded to be sick. It was then that another thought occured to me; I had skipped my menstrual cycle this month. Could it be that I was pregnant? I walked as quickly as I could towards the ballet dormitories. I reached the door, but then heard Meg's voice behind me; she had apparently just come from her dressing room.

"My goodness Christine, what took you so long?" she then looked over to see the slight smile one my face." What is it Christine?"

"Meg," I said. "I think I have morning sickness"  
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A/N: Ya, its sort of a weird cliffhanger, but I wanted to put the part about her telling Raoul in a seperate chapter. Isn't this exciting! I told you there was a good surprise waiting for you! The story is about to take another major turn soon, so please keep reading(and reviewing!) Most chapters will be in Raoul and Christine's POV, but there is one soon that is partially in Erik's POV. Hope that you liked this! RC forever! Thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys keep me writing! 


	9. Together

Chapter 9: Together

Meg looked at me as though she thought I was insane.

"Do you mean to say that you think you might be expecting?' she questioned.

I nodded as I felt my stomach tossing. "All the signs point to it Meg." At these words I could feel my heart soar; I hoped beyond hope that it was true.

Meg took my wrist and lead me quickly and excitedly into the dormitories, her golden locks bouncing as she went. "There's a doctor here now actually," said Meg. " He is looking at Andre's wrist that he sprained yesterday."

We reached the end of the dormitory where we found Madame Giry sitting in the back, chatting with some of the girls, all of whom were gathered around her. I smiled; she had always been just like a mother to me, ever since I had come to live here at the age of seven.

"Maman, Christine has something incredible to tell you!" exclaimed Meg.

Madame turned, surprised."What is it Christine?"

"I think.. I think I may be with child Madame." I said quietly, hardly believing the words that were coming out of my mouth.

I had never seen Madame Giry stand up so quickly. She began to give orders in the voice she generally used during rehearsals.

"Meg, get Christine a glass of water! Jammes, run and fetch the doctor, he should be in the manager's office! Christine dear, sit!"

I chuckled, but sat down as she had said, not having any kind of desire to defy her. My stomach had calmed down at bit, though it still had a dull ache. Madame came over and put a gentle arm around my shoulder. Then at almost the same instant, Meg came in with the water(which I drank gratefulley) and Jammes came in with the doctor.

After a brief examination and a listing of symptoms, the doctor gave me, with the eagerly listening ballet girls, his prognosis.

"Vicomtesse," he said with a smile."My congratulations. You are 1 and 1/2 months along. Now you should take this medication once a day until the sickness stops." He picked up his bag. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

As soon as the door closed a good number of squeals erupted from all the girls in the room. Madame Giry hugged me tightly, along with Meg.

"Christine dear, this is wonderful news. I can hardly believe it! It shall be like having a grandchild." said Madame.

"Yes," agreed Meg. "I can't wait to see Raoul's face when you tell him."

I smiled widely at the thought of that; Raoul would be overjoyed! I looked up at the clock, seeing that it was nearly time for Raoul to arrive. But before I could turn to go out the door and tell him my phenomenal news, I pulled Madame Giry and Meg aside, and told them of the letter that I had found on my dressing table. I saw a flicker of fear in their eyes, but they promised to let everyone know to be careful at the next performance.

I walked quickly out of the dormitories and into the grand marble lobby, where I saw Raoul just entering the doors. He looked a bit stressed and exhausted, but when he saw me standing there, a smile overcame his features.

"Hello there Christine my darling. You look awfully gleeful, has something happened?" he asked curiously.

I thought fleetingly of keeping it from him, simply to cause suspense, but I was so excited that the words nearly burst from my mouth. "Raoul," I said, my very voice quivering with joy. "I'm expecting!"

I saw a pleasantly shocked expression slide across his features, and then a wonderful sparkle fill his beautiful blue eyes. We ran to each other wordlessly and once we reached each other he picked me up and swung me around, kissing me delicately as though I were a fragile piece of china.

"Oh Christine this is wonderful, simply wonderful!" he exclaimed as he sat me down. "A child of our very own!" He then turned to my onlooking friends, who had also been joined by Andre and Firmin.

"Congratulations to the two of you!" said Firmin jovially.

Both managers came down and congratulated us, and Madame and Meg came to give Raoul a hug. Raoul's smile could have turned heads and it was terribly contagious.

"We shall have a party and you shall all be invited!" he said gesturing around. "What a glorious a day!"

We then bid our goodbyes and walked outside into the cool afternoon. We climbed inside the carriage, but before Raoul set off, our lips met once again, but this time with a delightful, spinetingling passion.

"Can you believe it Raoul?" I asked as we broke apart. "A new life that we have created together. Everything always seems to turn out right for us, even through darkness."

"I hope it shall always be so Little Lotte. This is an amazing blessing, and its everything we've ever wished for." he said.

We traveled the twenty minutes or so that it took to get to our estate, consumed with chatter about nursery plans, names, and baby showers. The carriage came to a halt. But as I began to step down, Raoul put out a hand to stop me.

"Let me Christine, for you and our baby are in a delicate condition." He then proceeded to pick me up in his arms, take me inside and lay me gently on the rose colored chaise lounge in the parlor. He then went into the kitchen to tell Jacque and Caroline excitedly of our news and that we would like to have our supper in the parlor. I then watched with amusement as he came in with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a blanket.

"Raoul," I chuckled. "You don't have to wait on me just yet." I said as I took the cocoa. "The doctor says that it is good for me to do as I normally would until the eight month or so."

He looked at me with a wide eyed expression, then smiled sheepishly. " Yes, I suppose you're right. Then how about we go for a ride, eat out dinner, then plan on how to tell Lucien and Phillipe our news?"

"That sounds perfect." I said as I got up, noticing that Raoul was watching my every move.

We went to change into our riding apparel, then went out into the twilight and saddled my bay riding horse, Molly, and Raoul's white riding horse, Harry. We mounted and I grinned as I surveyed how dashing my husband looked in his black riding breeches and hunter green shirt. Though I sometimes rode side-saddle, my father had taught me to ride properly. I looked slyly over at Raoul.

"How about a bit of a race? Just a short one, I want to be careful."

He laughed. "Alright. but don't go too fast, I don't want you to fall and get hurt."

We took off at a steady canter down the smooth trail, laughing as the tiniest snowflakes fell on the oak trees, and the sun began to set behind the green hills.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope you like this! I'm sorry that its been so long since the update, I've been incredibly busy with not a chance of slowing down until after Christmas. Anyway, please read and review! Thankyou for all of your lovely reivews, they keep me going, and I will try and use the spiffy new review reply thing next time. Until the next chappie, see ya and thanks! 


	10. Visitors of the night

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 10: Visitors of the night

Raoul's POV

The next day went by in a whirlwind, what with the preparations for the opening night of Hannibal the following day, and with Christine and I spreading our joyful news about. I was so ecstatic about Christine's pregnancy that I felt as though I were walking on air. Christine and I had been praying for a child, and now here one was! I didn't care if it was a boy or a girl, just the mere thought of being a father thrilled me.

It was around ten o'clock or so and Christine had just fallen asleep with a peaceful smile on her face. I bent over and kissed her forehead ever so softly, then blew out the candle that sat upon my bedside table. I had just lain my head down on the feather pillow when I heard the distinctive noise of something breaking downstairs. I sat straight up and got quickly out of bed. I went out into the hallway and partway down the stairs, careful not to be seen. My blood ran cold when I heard two raspy and unfamiliar voices in the parlor.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked one unsurely.

"Of course I'm sure you idiot," answered the second one in a harsh tone." The family crest is on the front door that we just broke the window of."

I felt my breath becoming rapid as I moved a bit closer, until I finally came into the view of their rough looking faces. One was large and bald, his head covered in ugly tattoos, one of them being a serpent wrapped around a lily. The other was tall, shrimpy, and mousy looking, with droopy, bloodshot eyes. I listened once again.

"But why here?" asked the tall one. "Why not the older brother?"

The tattooed one sighed in an irritated fashion. "Because if we attack the younger one first, it will leave the older one weak and vulnerable. And besides, I hear this one has a beautiful wife, if you get my drift." He snickered.

I felt and intense and fiery anger filling me, and though I knew it was rash, and though I knew I should have thought about it first, I dashed down the stairs and straight into their line of sight. I had to put all of my efforts into preventing them from getting upstairs. I couldn't care less if they stole all the money or valuables that I owned; I couldn't let them get to Christine. They stared at me for a minute, as though terribly surprised. I moved next to the hearth where I knew my sword lay.

"Excuse me," I said in a harsh tone. "But what the hell do you think you are doing breaking into my home!"

The larger one spoke first, an infuriating smirk on his face. "Have you not heard of our deeds around Paris monsieur? By the way, where is that darling wife of yours, the opera singer?" he questioned, his voice bitingly sarcastic.

I heard the mousy one chuckle and my heart began to thud in my chest. I couldn't let them harm my beloved; I would have rather died a thousand torturous deaths than have that happen. "That would be none of your damn business!" I said as I drew my sword.

I saw him draw a large knife from underneath his vest. "I shall and I will take all of your riches, along with her."

"I don't care if you take my money, but you will not take my wife." I practically growled.

"Ah but I want both de Chagny, and I always get what I want." He replied as our weapons clanged together. "But I must say you are on of the very few who has fought back when we have robbed other nobles."

"And I have no intention of losing!" I yelled.

The mousy one stood by and snickered as we fought; I seemed to have the advantage, and I now thanked God for my sword skills. But then my worst fear came true; I saw Christine coming down the stairs, her brown eyes half open from slumber.

"Raoul what on earth?" She stopped as she set eyes on the two gypsies.

But before I could even move, the tattooed gypsy was right next to her. He ran his grimy fingers through her curly locks, and I burned with anger.

"Get away from her!" I said, moving carefully for fear that he might hurt her.

He smirked as he moved ever closer to her. "You are a beautiful woman…." He murmured.

"Unhand me!" she screamed as she slapped him across his horrible face.

Faster than lightning, his knife was at her throat, and I saw a trickle of blood on her cheek. "I'll teach you to talk to me that way, wench!" he roared. "Now Vicomte, surrender or your love dies!"

My eyes widened as I felt my stomach churn, a sick fear running through my veins. Christine looked up at me, and I saw there, amongst the terror, a message of love for me. A single tear slid down her cheek, falling slowly until it intermingled with the blood from her cut.

"Alright," I said in a resigned tone. "I surrender, just please let her go!"

He removed the knife and then shoved her roughly aside, to which she responded with a dirty glance. I pulled her behind me as the two criminals turned and began to look around for things to steal. But I had no doubt that they had not only burglary in mind, but murder. I was proven right as the fat one ordered the mousy one to begin putting things into sacks, and then turned to me and began to pull out his knife. But before he had the chance to attack, I pulled my sword out from behind my back, and slammed the fiend across the forehead with the broadside of it. I watched him fall, as a cry of pain echoed through the room. I wasn't a fatal attack, for I wanted the police to be able to capture and interrogate them; but he would be out for hours. I immediately turned to Christine to make sure that she was all right.

"Christine," I said as I gently touched her injured cheek. " Are you going to be okay?"

She winced slightly as I touched the small wound. "I'll be all right Raoul, don't worry." She whispered as she leaned into me, shaking violently.

I held her tightly, breathing in her scent of vanilla soap and freshly cut roses. But our brief moment of peace was broken by a gruff voice that came, surprisingly enough, from the mousy gypsy. I turned around sharply, still holding one of Christine' s hands.

"You'll pay for this." was all he managed to say as I saw him pull out a gun and point it directly at my heart. I narrowed my eyes, my blood boiling.

I knew my sword was too thin to block the bullet and I couldn't move for fear that it would hit Christine. Then at the exact same moment, he fired and I kicked him in the gut. I then pushed Christine to the floor and shielded her from the bullet as I myself braced for the hit. I watched the bullet fly through the air, and I simultaneously watched the man fall to the ground, unconscious. It was then that I felt hot lead pierce my skin, mere inches from my heart. I felt my hand slip from Christine's as she desperately called my name. And then I was enveloped by darkness. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait, I had midterms, which are now over, yay! I also got accepted to Flagler College yesterday, so that's a big yay! Anyway, I know I left a cliffhanger, but to be nice I will tell you that Raoul is going to be perfectly all right. I could never kill him, I love him too much, and without him there would be no story, and it would be against canon. Anyway thanks for the lovely reviews everyone, please continue with that! Anyway, Long live Raoul and yay RC! 


	11. December tears

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 11: December tears

Christine's POV

I stood in terrified shock as I watched Raoul's hand slip from my grasp, his soulful blue eyes falling closed. An uncontrollable, heartwrending, scream escaped my lips, and it took all of my will power to stop it. I bent down to check his pulse; there was one, but it was faint. I stood up quickly, preparing to go and wake up our butler Jacques, and our maids, Caroline and Sarah. But before I could, I found them at the top of the stairs, each with a bewildered expression on his or her face, and candle in his or her hand.

"Madame Christine what is going on?" asked Jacques as he set eyes on the two unconscious gypsies.

"These men attempted to rob us Jacques, and they.." I stopped as I felt salty tears stinging my eyes. "They shot Raoul."

The three ran quickly down the stairs to where I knelt next to Raoul. They cared dearly for Raoul, and had known him since he was a child.

"Oh my," said Jacques in a whisper. "I must go for the doctor! But Madame, I fear for your safety with these two ruffians in the house."

I looked at the two men who had just attempted to kill my husband merely for the sake of stealing his money, and I felt myself burning with anger. He had only been trying to protect me from them, and he had taken that bullet for me, and now I didn't know if he would survive the night. "They'll be out for hours. But please Jacques, hurry and get the doctor!"

"I'm on it Madame, just hold on until I get back!" he said as he squeezed my shoulder. He grabbed his coat, ordering Caroline to go for the police, and for Sarah to go the Phillipe's and Lucien's, as they lived near each other, and then to the opera house for the Girys.

I heard the door slam and the neighing of horses as the three set off; I would be forever grateful to them. I went into one of the downstairs closets and retrieved a load of towels. I lit a candle to illuminate the room, trying to get rid of the very creepy feeling that had entered the room. I placed Raoul's head gently in my lap as I opened his shirt and wrapped a towel around the would, trying to stem the flow of blood.

I let out a gasp as I saw the bullet wound, which couldn't have been more than an inch from his heart. I alternated cleaning the would with holding a towel against it, praying silently to God that my beloved would be all right. I had just achieved my happiness after my father's death and all that had happened at the opera, and it was Raoul who had brought it to me. Why was God playing games with me? Raoul didn't deserve to die, he was young and vibrant and full of life; but most importantly, he was loved by so many, and he was the sweetest man on earth.

I hadn't prayed this desperately since my papa had fallen ill, and I could only hope that this didn't turn out as that had. The minutes passed, but they felt like hours, with the the wind rattling the windows and doors. I stroked Raoul's sweaty forehead as I watched him take shallow breaths, wishing that I could do something more. I heard the grandfather clock strike twelve as I changed yet another towel; it was then that it occured to me that it was the first day of December. This seemed to bring even more tears to my eyes. Christmas would be coming soon, and I couldn't bear the thought of Raoul not being there to see it. I wiped these tears from my swollen, red rimmed eyes; I had to be strong for Raoul. Just then, the door came open and I was extremely relieved to see the doctor come in with Jacques at his heels. It was the very same doctor who had told me I was pregnant. Had that only been two days ago?

"Oh my goodness Vicomtess!" he exclaimed. "What has happened here? But never mind that, I need to take the Vicomte upstairs."

"Our room is just up the stairs, monsieur. Will you be able to do anything for him?" I asked desperately.

"I certainly hope so Madame," he responded gravely. "I promise that I shall do my best."

I reluctantly let go of Raoul as Jacques and the good doctor carried him up the stairs. Jacques then came back downstairs for a minute, insisting that he bandage the cut on my cheek. I thanked him gratefully as he did so, and then ushered him up the stairs to assist the doctor. There was then another knock at the door, and I opened it to find three policemen standing there.

"Good evening. Are you Madame de Chagny?" asked one politely.

"Yes," I answered. "I believe that we have two of the culprits that you have been looking for monsieurs." I invited them in and they made their way over to the two unconsious gypsies. They bound both men's wrists before examining them closely.

"Yes, these have to be them. This one has the symbol on his head." he said, gesturing to the tattoo of the snake wrapped around the lilly on the large one's head. "You and your husband are brave souls Vicomtess. No one else has managed to even come close to capturing any of these gypsies but you. How is your husband by the way?"

"The doctor is with him now.. " I said quietly. "I don't know what will happen."

The officer put a hand on my shoulder. "We all hope that everything will turn out for the best. But we are grateful for the both of you. And please tell the Vicomte we are thankful for his bravery; this capture may help lead us to the other gypsies. In the meantime, we will get these two out of your way. I shall be in contact with you in a few days, just to ask a few questions." said the good lieutenant.

The three picked up the gypsies and heaved them into the carriage unceremoniously. " These two will be in for an unpleasant surprise when they wake up in an hour or so." chuckled the officer. "Good luck Madame."

I thanked them and closed the door, turning to make my way up the stairs to see if the doctor would allow me to see Raoul yet. But before I could even get halfway up the stairs, the door flew open and Phillipe and Lucien came rushing in, still half in their night clothes.

"Christine!" they both exclaimed at the same time.

They ran to me and before I could even say a word, they enveloped me in a hug, and I could feel both of their tears on my nightgown. The seriousness of the situation hit me once again; it took a lot for Phillipe and Lucien to cry.

"Where are those fiends!" raged Phillipe. "I'll kill them for doing this to my little brother."

"Calm down Phillipe! Your shouting will do no good." said Lucien calmly, his eyes shining with tears.

I was a bit shocked, for I had expected their reactions to be switched; Phillipe was normally the calmer one, and Lucien was the one who had the short temper.

"Is he going to be all right Christine? How bad is it?" asked Lucien as he grasped my cold hands.

I looked up at Lucien, never having seen him so scared before. "It was a terrible wound Lucien, we can only pray that he'll be all right." My voice broke at these words, the tears uncontrollable now. Lucien embraced me once again, and Phillipe stared at the wall. Quiet fell as we listened to the wind howl and the clock tick. I wondered fleetingly how long it would be until the Girys arrived. Then after what seemed like days, the doctor summoned me upstairs. I turned to Lucien and Phillipe.

"Go to him Christine." said Phillipe solemnly as he squeezed my shoulder. "I know that your presence can do miracles for him, I have seen it before."

I gave them a small smile, asking them to let Madame and Meg in when they arrived. I made my way up the winding staircase, the banister freezing under my fingertips, and the shadows on the walls unfriendly. I reached the outside of our bedroom, where I found the doctor and Jacques standing there, looking exhausted.

"How is he?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

The doctor sighed. "I managed to get the bullet out, and the good news is that it didn't pierce his heart. But he is weak from loss of blood. I think he'll make it, but he's not out of the woods yet." he smiled at me reassuringly . "But I do know that you were the first person he asked for when he awoke. Go to him." he patted my shoulder and opened the door into the room. I saw Raoul lying there, his blue eyes smiling at me through the pain that I knew he was in.

"Christine..."

I smiled at him. I couldn't express how it made my heart soar to hear him speaking. It gave me hope.  
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A/N: Well, here ya go, another chapter! I had to split the aftermath chapter into two chapters, because there is so much to put in. The Girys will arrive in the next chapter, and also be prepared for a lot of fluff! Please review! Thanks for all of the support! 


	12. Think of me

Let Daylight Dry your tears

Chapter 12: Think of me

Raoul's POV

I was lying in mine and Christine's bed as I watched the door come slowly open. Christine's slight form entered the room, her face ghostly white.

"Christine..." I whispered, for it hurt far too much to speak loudly. I saw her lovely chocolate eyes light up as I spoke, and she made her way over to me.

"Raoul..." she said as she gently took my hand and held it in her lap, stroking it. "How are you feeling?"

I gave her a small smile, which took a great deal of my energy. "It hurts like fire Christine, but with you here, I can't feel the pain nearly as much." I saw her eyes go over the huge white bandage that went around the entirety of my chest. It was already stained with blood, for pulling the bullet out had caused it to bleed even more, and it had hit an artery.

"You must promise me that you will follow all of the instructions that the doctor gives us for your recovery." she said as she smoothed the bedcovers. "I shall not leave your side until you are well."

"But you must, a least for just a little while, for the opera is in less that twenty- four hours." I said, wondering what her reaction to this would be.

She stared at me as though she couldn't believe those words had left my mouth. "Raoul I can't do that; my understudy shall simply have to step up to the task. I can't bear to leave you."

"Christine I want you to sing, Paris wants you to sing, our baby wants you to sing, but most importantly, you have worked so to sing in this opera." I said seriously as I squeezed the hand that held mine.

She bent over and kissed my cheek softly. "I will only do it because you requested that I do so." she said. I saw a few tears escape her eyes and I reached up to wipe them away.

"Don't cry love, I can't bear it. I shall be alright. But Christine, when you sing, please say that you'll think of me." I said, looking up at her angelic face; I knew that if it weren't for her I might not have made it. The doctor had told me of what she had done while waiting for him to arrive.

"I promise. I could think of no one else." she replied as she began to stroke my cheek.

Suddenly however, I felt a surge of excrutiating pain flood through me. It was gone in an instant, but it left a dull ache behind. I let out a shout of pain, and Christine moved closer and put my head in her lap. I squinted my eyes in pain but felt much better knowing that she was there.

"Shhh..." she said sweetly. "Its alright."

I felt my eyes falling closed. I let her take care of me as I had taken care of her in the past. I heard her begin to sing the words to our song ever so softly, and I felt a peaceful sleep overcome me.

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Christine's POV

I carefully closed the door to mine and Raoul's bedroom, feeling more confident about the situation, but there was still a knot of worry in the pit of my stomach. I hadn't wanted to leave him there, but the logical part of me knew that he needed undisturbed rest. My pale yellow nightgown fluttered around my ankles as I walked back down the stairs, hearing the hushed voices of Lucien, Phillipe, Madame, and Meg.

I stopped on the second to last stair, taking a minute to survey the scene that lay before my tired eyes. The four sat there, leaning in close and speaking in whispers. Each still seemed to have at least one article of bedclothing on, which gave each one a rather odd appearance.

The room was dark except for two candles that cast a soft light through the room. It was a strange scene to say the least. Meg was the first to see me standing there, and she instantly got up and scampered over to me, her blonde locks a bit wild from sleep.

"Oh Christine, I'm so sorry it took us so long to get here; the weather is simply dreadful!" she said as she hugged me tightly. "How is he?"

"He's going to make it." I answered, relief flooding through my veins as I spoke. I could see the looks of relief on everyone else's faces as well. "But he is in a great deal of pain."

Meg pulled back from the embrace and took both of my hands. I saw then, in her worried blue eyes the very same innocence that used to be in mine. I sometimes wished that I could have that same innocence again, that trust in the good of all people; it was both a blessing and a curse. I was still naive in nature I knew, but a piece of that had been taken from me the moment that I had fallen under Erik's spell. And now this had happened; those cruel men had nearly killed the person that I loved most in the world.

"I just can't believe this." Meg remarked as she led me over to the couch. " They stooped to such violence."

I nodded. "They were horribly viscious. But Raoul did quite a number on them." I said shakily, taking a sip of the honey filled tea that was offered me. " He was just trying to protect me."

Phillipe flashed a bittersweet smile at that statement. "My brother has always been excellent with a sword, and he has also been exceptionally valiant. Some may call it foolishness, but they're wrong." He looked over at me. "And he married a brave woman," he said with a wink.

"Is he sleeping Christine?" asked Lucien softly, his voice strained and hoarse.

"Yes, in fact he is. But you may all stay the night if you like; we have plenty of room." I said, knowing that I for one, would feel better with them all here.

"That would be wonderful," replied Lucien, as the rest agreed. "But Christine, what of the opera?"

I sighed at that. "He specifically mentioned that, and he wishes me to perform."

"Are you sure you want to do that dear?" asked Madame with a very concerned expression.

"I'm sure," I said firmly. "Raoul wants me too, and so I shall."

"I just don't understand it." said Lucien. "Everything was going so well what with your pregnancy and the reopening of the opera... I just don't know. But there is one thing that I do know; Chistine you must get some rest," he said in as stern a voice as he could muster.

I nodded and showed both Lucien and Phillipe to their rooms, promising to get some sleep, though I knew that it would probably be in vain. I went back downstairs once again, taking my place on the soft leather couch, in between Madame and Meg. All was quiet for a moment, until Madame broke the ice.

"Christine dear I hate to bother you with this, but did you happen to notice any kind of symbol on the gypsies? One that might tie them to any certain clan?" she asked curiously.

I thought for a second, drawing a blank, when I suddenly remembered something that stood out in my mind. "One of them had a tattoo of a snake wrapped around a lilly. The police seemed to recognize it. Why?"

I saw the two Girys exchange a signifigant glance. "Christine dear, these gypsies who attacked you this evening, well, they are from the very same clan of gypsies that held Erik captive when he was younger."

I was very taken aback by this; Raoul had told me the story that Madame had told him on the eve of the masquerade. I felt a twinge of sympathy in my heart for Erik, having to live with those tyrannical people every day. "Well I suppose that Raoul and I have now experienced their ferocity firsthand." I said as I felt the tears falling from my eyes. Raoul's pained face kept flashing through my mind. God it hurt me so much to see him in that agony; I felt like we shared each other's pain, both physical and emotional, like soulmates.

I tried to imprint the image of his peacefully slumbering face as I had left the room upon my brain. Just then, I felt a familiar pair of arms around me; Madame had pulled me to her, my head upon her shoulder. She simply let me cry as a mother would. This went on for a good twenty minutes, until I had no more tears left, and she gently lifted me up, kissing my forehead gently, bidding Meg to help me upstairs before they made their way to the other guestroom.

Once Meg and I reached the room we pulled the mint green chaise lounge away from the windowseat and moved it right next to mine and Raoul's bed, where he lay sleeping. After hugging Meg once more and bidding her goodnight, I lied down and fell fast asleep, my hand on top of Raoul's.  
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A/N: A Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! I am currently sitting in my new blue and white snowflake robe, listening to "Photograph' on my mp3 player, very full from too much Christmas dinner. I hope you like this chapter, please read and review, I really appreciate them! The opera is in the next chapter, so that should be exciting! Until later, see ya! Long live RC! 


	13. Gala night

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 13: Gala night

Christine's POV

I sat in the small chapel that I had sat in so often during my years at the opera. I lit two candles on this night however; one for Raoul's progress in healing and one for the soul of my father. I was sick with worry for my beloved, so very worried that the very delicate condition that he was in would worsen any second. The doctor had said that he was very strong and was doing quite well under the circumstances, but I couldn't help but be concerned.

I looked out the stain glass windows as I stood up. The sun was beginning to set on Paris, and the evening rays were shining through the colorful frames. I walked slowly back through the chaotic halls of the opera, where everyone was rushing to get ready. I chuckled as I watched my friends; the last hour before a performance was always sure to be insane. I had just reached the door of my dressing room when I ran into Firmin, who gave me a kindly smile.

"Christine, before you go and prepare for the performance I'd like to tell you something." he said. "Since Raoul couldn't be here tonight we've left box seven empty in his honor. And also, Andre and I have decided to name the box after you and your family, and it will always be reserved for you as long as you stay at this opera."

"Oh my, thankyou monsieur. Raoul will be so pleased when I tell him." I said as I curtseyed.

"Anything for the two of you Madame. You and Raoul have kept this opera alive." he replied as he kissed my hand. "Give Raoul my best, and good luck tonight."

I thanked him once again as he walked away, probably to make sure that there had been no refunds. I stepped back into my dressing room to put on my costume; my hair and makeup were already done. I heard a knock at the door and Madame Giry entered.

"Christine dear, I came to help you into your costume." she said.

"Everything seems to be going well." I said as she tightened the laces on my corset. "I hear we have a full house."

"Full to the brim," she replied as she helped me slip into the vibrant gold, red, and blue costume that I wore for the first act of Hannibal. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

I turned to my surrogate mother and responded truthfully. "I'm holding up as best I can. I'm doing this for Raoul. I'm just glad that Lucien and Phillipe and staying with him until I get back."

She kissed my forehead in a motherly fashion. "You've been through a lot for your eighteen years Christine, but I know that you'll make it through this. I'll be backstage if you need me." she said as she turned to go, looking as though she were out to accomplish something.

"Thankyou." I replied as I turned to look in the mirror for one last check. My hair had been left completely down for the first act with gold braided around some of the strands. It was a good thing I had on stage makeup however, because my face was pale from the events of last night. I smiled though, as I looked down at my stomach. I hadn't begun to show yet, but this glorious blessing of a child was so exciting that I knew I could make it through anything. I looked down at the clock, and seeing that it was twenty minutes until curtain call I turned to go backstage. But as I walked out the door I heard a deep voice all around me, even though it seemed to only a whisper.

"Sing as I have taught you my angel of music..."

I whipped around but saw nothing behind me; but one thing was for sure, that had been Erik's voice. I closed the door behind me, trying to focus on the performance ahead and trying to keep the bone chilling voice out of my head.

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Erik's POV

I moved from behind the wall of Christine's dressing room as I heard her close the door. I couldn't enter the room seeing as the mirror had been removed, but I knew she could hear me through the thin wall. I walked through the damp and murky corridor of the cellars and back up towards the rafters where I could observe without being seen. But before I climbed my way up I craned my neck around to look at the audience. It looked to be a full house. I smirked; this was excellent. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to put the fear back into everyone's hearts for not performing my revised opera.

As though it were a reflex, I looked up at box seven to see if de Chagny was there; I was quite shocked to see that he wasn't. But before I had time to consider this strange occurence I felt a familiar presence behind me and I turned around. There was only one person who would dare to sneak up behind me and suceed.

"To what do I owe this surprise?" I said bitterly as I turned to see Antionette Giry standing behind me, leaning ever so slightly on her cane.

"If you think that I didn't see you sneaking out from behind the wall of Christine's dressing room you are wrong Erik. You cannot hide from me." she said, the slightest hint of a smile on her face, though I could sense that she was perhaps, a bit worried about something.

"That is true," I said with a chuckle despite myself. "But I know you haven't come to simply chat. What do you want?"

She sighed heavily and I could tell that something was on her mind. "Erik I know that you don't keep up with news but Raoul de Chagny was nearly murdered last night. He made it, but Christine is distraught and that type of stress is not good for her pregnancy."

I didn't respond for at least a minute. Half of me felt a sick pleasure that the man who had taken my angel from me was hurt, but a small something in the back of my head felt a bit bad for Christine, for at the bottom of my heart I knew that Christine truly loved the boy.

"Your point?" I said in a hard tone, ignoring the other piece of me and letting the angry side take over.

"Erik the ones who tried to murder Raoul are the gyspsies that have been robbing all the wealthy of Paris. They are the very same clan that held you captive as a child." She stopped, letting me take the information in.

My eyes widened as my head pounded with unwanted flashbacks. "Do the Vicomte and Christine know this?" I asked, not really knowing why.

"Yes, I told them. Raoul was really the first they've tried to rob who fought back. He managed to knock them out before he got hurt." she said sadly.

"And why do you feel it necessary to tell me this?" I asked stonily.

"For a few reasons Erik. One, because I wanted to warn you. I do worry a great deal about you." she said as she put a hesitant hand on my shoulder, that I didn't resist. " And because..." she stopped as though unsure. "You may call me insane for this but I believe that you could help Raoul and Christine if the foul men return, which I am sure that they will."

I stared at her in disbelief as I shook free of her touch. "You are insane." was all I could manage to say.

"I thought that you might say that. I just thought.. you know all of their ways. But Erik, if you care about Christine at all you will not disturb the opera tonight." she said with narrowed eyes that looked as though they might have tears in them.

"I will agree to that, but only because despite myself, I still care for Christine. But as to the other, I absolutely refuse." I said as a draft blew through the corridor.

"Thankyou for agreeing to not disturbing the opera." she said as she turned to go. "But at least consider what I said. I know the three of you have a difficult and hard past together, but sometimes hard times call for you to put the past behind you. Raoul really is a wonderful man; he's not at all like other aristocrats. It could be a chance to start over, a chance to forgive, and a chance for you to redeem yourself. But Erik be careful with those gypsies here, I don't want anything to happen to you." And with that, she turned to go, black dress billowing out behind her .

I turned and walked towards the always empty box five and snorted at the absolute ludacris nature of her idea. But then again it would give me a chance to seek revenge on those gypsies who had cursed my existence. I shook my head once again as I watched the opera begin and became lost in the sea of color and song.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the wait, Christmas and all of that, and I was out of town. But ugh, school tommorow. Thanks to all of my reviewers, old and new, I love you guys. Hope that you like this, the next chapter will also be about the opera. Sorry as well about all the POV changes, that won't continue for much longer; most of them will be in Raoul's POV. Please read and review! 


	14. Truthful music

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 14: Truthful music

Christine's POV

The first two acts of the opera passed without incident, of which I was both quite shocked and pleasantly surprised. I had been almost sure that Erik would make some sort of disturbance, and I had been fearfully awaiting its arrival; but nothing of the sort had happened. I now stood in the wings of the stage, watching my friends perform the ballet. Meg was in the middle, currently doing her solo. It seemed to me that she moved with more grace and poise each time her pale pink pointe shoes came across the stage. I heard the music stop and felt the nerves beginning to rise in my stomach; this was a very famous aria and I desired very much to sing it well.

I tugged once more on the skirt of the dress I wore, the same beautiful dress that I had worn the very first night I had replaced Carlotta as Elissa. I heard my que and proceeded to step onto the stage, the lights shifting onto the middle of the stage and focusing on me. I couldn't make out any certain faces in the audience, seeing as it was rather dark. The orchestra struck up the opening bars to 'Think of me' and Raoul's face instantly popped into my mind; his loving and gentle smile and his pain filled eyes as he had asked me to think of him as I sang. There was no one else that I could think of at that moment and the sadness that I felt came out in my voice, making the words I sang sound even more realistic to my character's predicament. And because of this, my voice had never sounded better; it's amazing what you can accomplish under the most difficult of circumstances.

As I hit the last note I recieved a standing ovation and roses of every color fell at my feet. I recieved a nod of approval from Monsieur Reyer as I curtseyed. My heart soared at the audience's reaction ; I had sung with my soul and I had done it for Raoul. A shadow in box five however, caught my attention for a moment as I took my leave off of the stage to wait for the final cast bows. I turned slightly and a pair of mysterious grey eyes met mine for a fraction of a second. But by the time everyone had come to take their bows, he was gone. Maybe I had just been imagining things. As I walked offstage I was greeted by a throng of my friends, all of whom were giddy with excitement. Not suprisingly, Meg was at the forefront.

"That was amazing Christine! I've simply never heard anything like, even from you!" Her face suddenly turned serious. "Christine have you been crying?"

I reached up and realized that my face was damp. I had been crying while I was singing and I hadn't even realized it. "I'll be alright." I said and Meg's light blue eyes met mine in silent understanding.

I turned to all of them, a smile on my face. "You were all wonderful tonight, simply superb!" I said sincerely as I embraced them all at once and handed them each a rose.

"Will you stay for the opening night party Christine?" asked Jammes curiously.

"No I can't, I must be getting home to check on Raoul. But I shall stay another time, and Raoul has been talking of holding the cast Christmas party at our house. You all go and have fun."

They all hugged me once more and told me to wish Raoul well. Meg said that she would come by as soon as she could get away from the party. I then went to my dressing room and quickly changed into a a dark green dress, and took the diamond hair clips from my hair and pinned it up with turtle shell combs. I walked out of the dressing room and through the backstage area, amidst the excitement and congratulations of my fellow performers. I made my way through to the grand marble staircase and into the lobby, loving the sounds my heels made as they clicked across the floor. I was stopped by some ladies and gentlemen whom I had become aqquainted with since marrying Raoul. They asked me how Raoul was doing, and told me to give him their best. They also raved about my performance, saying that it was absolutely stupendous.

I politely thanked them, but being anxious to get on my way I bid them farewell. They were nice people though, one of the aristocratic families I considered to be friends, and one of the few who had not taken part in the gossip about Raoul's marriage to me. I heard a bottle of champagne being opened just as I closed the door behind me. The carriage rested right at the front doors, with Jacques in the driver's seat.

"Madame, how did the performance go?" he asked as he helped me into the carriage.

"It was a full house Jacques, I wish Raoul could have been there. How is he?" I questioned the good man.

"He was resting in the parlor talking with Monsieurs Lucien and Phillipe when I left. But he is anxiously awaiting your arrival it seems, for he was constantly looking up at the clock." said Jacques with a smile as he hopped up to the driver's seat and set off.

The trip seemed to go by rather quickly. My thoughts drifted to the child to come, and Ifelt a happiness that was so complete I couldn't even describe it. It gave me a sense of peace that everything was going to be all right. I leaned against the cool window, my ruby red cloak wrapped about my shoulders. I gazed out at the cold, clear December night; it was very quiet and each star was shining brightly above me. The evening seemed enfolded in mystery, as though it were waiting for something to happen, something unexpected. After the twenty minutes or so that it took to arrive had passed, the carriage haulted at the front door of our estate. I nearly flew out of the it in my excitement to see Raoul. I opened the front door and placed my cloak on the rack in the entrance hall. I walked swiftly into the parlor where I found Raoul lying on the chaise lounge, a quilt covering his legs and the bandage still wrapped around his chest, talking with Lucien and Phillipe.

This scene was quite different from the one that I had experienced last night. It was much more comforting, that was for sure. The burgundy walls and golden celing were much less harsh, a fire crackled in the golden trimmed fire place, as the moon shone down through the window onto the mahogany coffee table and the silver and white upholstered furniture.

"Raoul!" I exclaimed, running over to him as I had done when we were children, and taking a seat right next to him, taking care to be gentle as I kissed his lips.

"Christine," he siad in a quiet tone that seemed to reverberate with happiness at seeing me. "How was the opera?" he asked, his blue eyes sparkling.

"It was a huge succsess. I only wish that you could have been there to see it." I said wistfully.

"I do too," he said as he squeezed my hand. I took notice that his tanned face was unusually pale. "But I will be well before you know it, never fear."

I smiled at him, loving him even more. I turned my gaze to Lucien and Phillipe. "Meg missed you tonight Lucien, but she understood completely. She should be by in a bit." I said

He smiled back. "She's amazing even though I only met her a short time ago. But I had to make sure that my pal here was all right." he said with a grin over at Raoul, who let out a chuckle.

I looked over to Phillipe, who had had barely left his brother' s side all day. He seemed to be very deep into the newspaper he was reading.

"They're having a field day with this in the newspaper." he said, looking up with his tired green eyes.

"I saw that this morning." I replied. For some reason this reminded me to tell Raoul that box seven had been named in our family's honor, but just as I opened my mouth to speak, the doorbell rang. I got up to open it myself, assuming that it was Madame and Meg. I opened the door, and it was indeed Madame Giry who was there, but it wasn't Meg who was with her; it was Erik.  
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A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait! What with my trip back up to my hometown in Georgia and school starting back up, I've been way busy. Who would have thought they would give me so much work in my last semester of high school! But anway, sorry for the cliffhanger, I couldn't help myself. I have only one request of you; please, please, please review! If you are reading and not reviewing I would love to hear your thoughts! Thankyou to all of my loyal reviewers; Glitter Queen of the Ice Show, jtbwriter, Phantomit 14, Amethyst, and everyone else who has reviewed at any time! Until next time, Vive le Vicomte!

PS: The next few chaps will be back in Raoul's POV 


	15. A dark figure in the light

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 15: A dark figure in the light

Christine's POV

I stood absolutely still, my hand still resting on the door knob as I stared with wide brown eyes at the pair before my eyes. I tried to speak, but my throat was constricted, my mouth dry. My emotions at that instant in time were hard to explain. Here in front of me stood the woman who had become my only parental figure after I had been left orphaned. She had been there for me when my father had died and throughout the remainder of my childhood. She had been there for my marriage; she had always been there for me to lean on. But now here she stood, beside the man who had decieved me beyond belief, the man who had taken advantage of the navie and childlike trust that I had placed in him. It was rather ironic to say the least. And now here he stood on my doorstep, looking no different than he had since the last time I had been face to face with him, just after Raoul and I had returned to Paris. I wanted to shut the door, but something wouldn't let me.

Madame seemed to sense my obvious predicament and put a hand on my shoulder, a serious expression in her hazel eyes.

"Christine I know that this may feel strange to you, but Erik may have some crucial information on the gypsies who attacked you last night." she said quietly.

I tore my gaze from her face and looked at Erik. He was leaning against the doorframe, the ever present grimace on his face. Indeed, as he stood now he looked much more like the Phantom he had been than the man who had allowed Raoul and I to go free. He looked up and his grey, almost silver eyes ,et mine. I didn't avert my gaze, trying to let him know that he no longer had power over me. I felt a mixture of unexplainable compassion, anger, and pity flooding through my veins like electricity.

I had worked hard over the past year to try and forgive and understand his actions, to try and forget what had happened in those last months at the opera. I had once believed he had been an angel, some had said that he was a demon, but now I saw that he was simply a man, just a man. I pitied him, yes, would have offered the hand of friendship is he hadn't manipulated me so. I had cared for him as a student cares for a teacher. I was thankful for his teaching, but that last night down in his lair, with him tying that rope around Raoul's neck, and the choice that he had tried to force me to make, still seared my memory. He had tried to force upon me a love that I could not return, for I loved Raoul with my whole heart and soul, and he sat now, just in the next room, injured from trying to protect me. But if my former teacher was here to help, I had no choice but to give in.

" Come in," I said reluctantly as I closed the door behind them.

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Raoul's POV

Christine seemed to be taking quite a while answering the door, and began to be curious about who it was that had come to call. Not that I ever could have guessed. I smiled as I saw Christine enter with Madame Giry, but I felt my face fall as I set eyes on the third member of the party. He was skeletal and dressed all in black, a half mask covering the right side of his face. I was so shocked to see this man in my house at first, that I could scarcely move. I had tried to rid myself of my intense dislike for the man, had tried to find sympathy for the hard life that he had experienced. But there was something about him standing in the parlour, intruding upon the life that Christine and I had built together, that brought old feelings to the surface.

My mind became consumed with flashbacks; the rope taking the breath of life from me, the clash of our swords, his voice singing mine and Christine's song, and him kidnapping Christine before my very eyes while setting the Opera Populaire aflame. I looked over at Phillipe and Lucien, who both had looks of intense anger on their faces. Against my better judgement, I stood up fast trying to ignore the excrutiating pain that shot through my body as I did so. The man's piercing eyes looked upon me as I stood.

"Get out! I don't know why you're here, but get out." I said as I tried to catch my breath, shaking from both my determination to keep standing and from my anger.

Christine came over to me as I spoke and put her hand on my shoulder, trying to make me sit down. "Raoul you musn't stand! You must sit down or you will cause the would to reopen and that could cause infection." she insisted.

I did as she requested, not wanting to cause her more anguish that she was already feeling at her former teacher's presence. She sat beside me and I took her hand firmly in mine. She moved closer to me and I could see in her eyes all of the things I knew we were both feeling. The man they called Phantom gave me an infurating smirk as his gaze rested upon the newly changed but still bloodied bandage that was wrapped around my chest.

"And who's going to make me de Chagny? You?" he said sarcastically.

I vainly tried to get up again, but with Christine, Lucien, and Phillipe holding me down, it was quite impossible.

"I'll make you," growled Phillipe menacingly.

"Go ahead Monsieur le Comte, I dare you." responded Erik.

Christine stroked my hand, trying to calm me, but I noticed that there was a rather severe look on her face. She directed her first comment to Phillipe and myself. "He is here to help, so try to calm yourselves. You especially Raoul," she said as she kissed my cheek ." I don't want to see you get any more hurt that you already are." She then turned to Erik. "Do not attempt to start a fight Erik, or you will leave." she said sternly, though I saw she was shaking, and I squeezed her hand.

The man looked as though he were about to do as Christine had threatned until a sharp thawck was heard as Madame Giry gave him a hit on the back on the back of the leg with her cane.

"You have come to offer you information on these gypsies Erik, and you shall. I understand there is an unbearable amount of tension among you, but if we are to win against this enemy, we must have all the information." she said bluntly. "Now do try and be civil, all of you." she said as she gazed around at us all, We would have been insane to refuse her.

It was an awkward and tense situation that followed. I lay on the couch in a half lying, half sitting posistion with Christine directly beside me, her hand on my shoulder as though she were just waiting for me to try and get up again, which was indeed what I wanted to do. I wanted this man out of my house and I wanted to whisk Christine away to a place where she would be safe. But as I was badly injured, no one would let me. I was a former French navy man, a trained swordsman, and because of those damnable gypsies I was limited in how I could protect my beloved, and it was infuriating. I longed for the would to heal instantly, which was of course, impossible.

Phillipe sat next to a stern looking Madame Giry, looking as if he were ready to kill. Lucien, by some bad luck was seated directly next to the masked man. He was bobbing up and down nervously and only stopped when Madame whacked him with her cane, as she had done to Erik. The room felt slightly chilly, as though someone had not closed the door properly and had allowed the winter breeze to enter the house. The pleasant fire that had both lit and warmed the room now began to die, and the room was absolutely silent for several minutes. Then Erik broke it with a sarcastic comment.

"I came here to give you the insights that I posses about these gypsies, but perhaps I won't if you are not willing to listen to me de Chagny." he said with a smirk; he was just trying to get at me.

"Do you enjoy kicking a man when he's down?" I asked.

"I don't remember kicking you Vicomte, but that can be easily arranged." he said as he moved towards standing up.

A low growl escaped my mouth, surprising even myself. This man had gone beyond testing my patience. "Do you have nothing better to do than try and pick a fight with me, Opera Ghost?" I asked, fury flooding the logical part of me.

He looked ready to answer with another sarcastic comment, but he was interrupted by Madame Giry.

"Stop this instant! We must cooperate if we are to win against this common enemy, of whom we are ALL in danger of!" At this the doorbell rang and she got up to answer it, clearly exasperated.

This left the room in another awkward silence. This time however, it was Lucien who broke it. He looked so angry and nervous that he looked ready to burst. His light brown eyes kept darting between Christine and myself, and Erik, who sat beside him.

"So, you're the Phantom of the Opera?" he asked, trying to sound casual, as though this were a normal, everyday conversation.

Erik didn't answer, he merely glared.

"Lucien!" called the voice of Madame Giry. "Meg is here and I want the two of you to go and see how Sarah and Jacques are coming along with dinner."

My loyal friend looked quite reluctant to go, obviously not wanting to leave me in a room with a man who had tried to take my life on more than one occassion. It wasn't until Madame called a shrill "Now!" that he consented, with a whispered, "be careful" in mine and Christine's direction.

Madame Giry reentered the room as Lucien exited and the somber mood fell once again on the room.

"Now Erik, please tell us what you know, it grows late." she said.

The man sighed in an irritated fashion, but consented. "These gypsies," he began, "Are viscious and will not relent until thet achieve what they are after. They are sneaky and underhanded and pounce upon you when you least expect it."

"But how can we trust you?" interrupted Phillipe. "How do we know what you say is the truth?"

"Because Monsieur le Comte, I have been among them. "answered Erik coolly.

This seemed to satisfy Phillipe and he fell back in his chair with a grunt. I knew that he, like me, wanted any information he could find on these gypsies. I knew also that Erik, though mad, was a genius and had probably been very observant of the gypsies ways when he had lived with them.

"Because they did not get what they wanted from you the last time, I can assure that they will be back. You must take precautions beforehand, and show them no mercy, for none shall be shone to you."he stopped, his voice containing a bit of melancholy. And I could for a moment, understand and sympathize with him on this enemy that we both shared. "And when they return, there will be a greater number of them. They will not hesistate to kidnap, I have seen them do it."

"That is all, I believe," he said gruffly as he stood. He walked towards the door, Madame accompanying him.

I nodded at him in thanks, and he nodded back, but neither of us would do anything more, our mutual dislike still clearly intact. It was for Christine's safety from these gypsies that we tolerated each other's presence and for Christine alone.

"Thankyou for you help Erik," siad Christine quickly.

"Your welcome Christine," he said as he gave her one last glance, and with that, he was gone as quickly as he had come.

Madame went to escort him back to the opera, and then to check on the ballet girls, promising to be back in an hour. The room was quiet once again as the door closed. I wrapped my tired arms around my beloved and she rested her brown curly head on my shoulder. I knew that that had been a tense situation for the both of us and I wanted her to know that she was safe with me. I planted a kiss on her forehead, and she smiled up at me.

"Well," said Phillipe, "That was most unexpected. But I daresay that we needed the information."

"Yes," said Christine, "We did. I just hope that our fears of the gypsies' return will go unwarranted."

"So do I," I answered. "But we must be on our guard, as he said."

As I spoke, Meg and Lucien announced dinner, and it was served to us in the parlour due to the fact that it was not a good idea for me to be moved frequently. And with that, we put the subject of the gypsies away for a bit and spoke of the succsess of the opera, of nursery plans, and Christmas. And tried, for a while at least, to forget our troubles.  
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A/N: Here you go guys, I hope you like this. I even made it extra long! Please read and review! Just to note, I'm following the plotline from the movie/musical, but I may add a few things from Leroux, such as Phillipe's character. I'm currently re- reading the book, so yay! I've also watched the movie several times over the past few days since I have the flu. And good news for me; The stage production of Phantom is coming to my town in May! Thanks for all of your support, the reviews keep me writing! 


	16. White Christmas

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 16: White Christmas

A/N: Okay, this is a bit of a diversion from the main plot line. I just wanted to have a bit of a fluffy chapter after all the heaviness of the last few chapters. I thought a little Christmas chapter might be sweet, so I put that in. I hope you like it! The next chapter will get back to everything going on! Enjoy!  
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Raoul's POV

A few weeks passed in peace in mine and Christine's lives. The Christmas season had arrived and Paris was covered in pure white snow. People were bustling about, buying presents for their loved ones and decorating Christmas trees. My wound was healing nicely, and the doctor had said that by the new year I would be able to return to work and resume my duties at the opera. I was glad of this, for being cooped up in the house didn't suit me. I had been out a few times to visit friends, or taking Christine to dinner, and the times had been most enjoyable, except for the fact that everyone was either staring at me or rushing up to ask me how I was. I appreciated their concern, but the constant attention was tiring. The best times over the past few weeks had been spent alone with Christine. We would read together, or she would sing and I would play the violin, or sometimes we would sit and talk, just holding each other. We had gone for one short walk on the horses, but it had only been for a few minutes, because it tired me out.

Now however, I sat in one of the front pews of Notre Dame Cathedral, watching as Christine sang a solo version of O' Come All Ye Faithful as the bishop and the altar servers recessed down from the altar, their candles glowing. Madame Giry and Meg sat on one side of me, while Lucien and Phillipe sat on the other. The Cathedral was filled to the brim with people for the seven o'clock Christmas Eve mass. I gazed at Christine as she sang, a smile on my face. She wore a red dress that was made of the finest silk. It was beautiful; it fell to the floor and the sleeves poofed out just below her shoulders. She had half of her hair tied back with a red ribbon, leaving the rest of the mahogany curls to fall down her back. Her cheeks were rosy, her chocolate eyes shining. I smiled; it gave my heart joy to see the bliss that song gave her. Her final note rang out, and it sounded as though heaven itself had graced the congregation with its presence. Her angelic voice reminded me for a moment of the man who had helped her to attain that voice. I had been truly grateful for the help that he had given to us concerning to gypsies, and I could still hardly believe he had done it. But it had been a hard and awkward situation for Christine and I both. It had brought back memories that neither of us cared to relive, especially Christine. The two of us had had a long conversation after he left, and had decided to accept his help if he offered it again, for it would be in our best interests to have all the help offered to stop these gypsies. And if he was generous enough to offer it, I knew we could unite against this common enemy. I had still been a bit reluctant, but I had agreed in order to keep Christine safe. But one thing we both knew; we had to be very careful in this endeavor. It was an intensely complicated issue, considering the emotions between the three of us.

People began filing out of the Cathedral, snapping me out of the reverie. I waved to a few friends and then met Christine, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"That was wonderful, love." I said with a smile.

"Thankyou," she grinned. " I enjoyed it. I'm glad that Father Perrier asked me to do it." She paused to look out at my pocket watch. " Oh, we had better go or we'll be late for your Aunt's Christmas party."

I nodded, and after bidding a Merry Christmas to the Giry's, we set off. Phillipe and Lucien were going to the party as well, but they had to run a few errands first. Christine and I walked out into the chilly December air, snowflakes falling around us. The city was lit up with festive lights and people were milling about marveling at the beauty of it. Christine and I climbed into the carriage, but before we set off I pulled a small box out of my pocket. Christine looked at me curiously.

"What is that Raoul? We don't open our presents until Christmas morning."

"I know, but I thought I'd give you this one small thing now. I know you don't always enjoy these parties, so I thought I'd do this." I said as I opened the box to reveal a pair of golden earrings in the shape of music notes.

She gasped as she took the box slowly from my hands, and replaced her pearl earrings with these. "Raoul these are beautiful, I love them." she said as she straightened them in her ears.

"Just a little something for you to wear to the party," I said, gleeful at the fact that she liked them. "They suit you."

She grinned as she leaned in to capture my lips with hers. Once we broke apart, we both smiled sheepishly and she straightened my red tie and waistcoat that she had picked out for me to wear on Christmas. She then brushed off the sleeve of my black tuxedo.

"Do I look presentable now?" I asked, chuckling.

"Yes," she said. "Quite."

We set off then, the horses white coats matching the snow on the ground. My elderly aunt lived mere minutes from Notre Dame, right in the center of Paris. She resided in an old, huge, but elegant town house. She had helped raise me after my parents had passed away when I was twelve, and she was one of the most well known women in Paris; she beared the de Chagny name with pride. She had also been one of the main suuporters in my family for mine and Christine's marriage, being the one that had convinced Phillipe that it would make me the happiest man in the world.

We pulled up in front of the grand house, behind a line of many other carriages. A young stable boy approached us and took the horses for me. I smiled at him and pressed a few francs into his hands for his trouble. He looked tired already, and taking care of horses for hours would wear him down; it was the least I could do. I helped Christine out of the carriage and she held my hand loosely in hers. She seemed less tense and happy, and I was relieved. When we entered we were greeted by a throng of people, but we eventually found a table that Lucien had reserved for us. He grinned at us as we approached. I was actually a bit surprised to see him; he wasn't much for social occassions. But seeing as my aunt simply adored him, he had decided to come.

"Hello there Lucien." I said as Christine and I took out seats and began to sip champagne. "I thought you were bringing Meg with you?"

"I was, but she wanted to spend Christmas with her mother, so I understood." he answered.

"I'm glad you decided to come Lucien." said Christine.

"Yes, this should be enjoyable. But look out, here comes Aunt Gabriella at 12 o'clock." he said, chuckling.

Just as he said this, my aunt rushed over to us and enveloped me in her perfume soaked embrace. "Raoul darling, how are you feeling? You seemed to be in a bit of pain still when I visited you last week." She asked in an excited rush.

I laughed and kissed her wrinkled hand. "I'm doing much better, thankyou. This is a wonderful party."

"Yes, I was hoping it would be. I do love Christmas." she said, turning to Christine.

"Christine dear, how are you! I see that you are starting to show!" she said gleefully, gesturing to Christine's growing stomach.

Christine smiled broadly as she kissed my aunt on the cheek. "Its good to see you again. We're very excited about the baby."

"As well you should be dear, its a very wonderful time. I do remember when my first one came, I was ecstatic. Speaking of her, she should be around here somewhere." She said, reffering to my cousin Lunette.

We chatted for a few more minutes until Aunt Gabriella became involved in questioning Lucien about Meg. I took this opportunity to ask Christine to dance. She gladly accepted and we glided out onto the smooth dance floor, where a slow, romantic waltz was taking place. The room was covered in garland with red bows, and a large but elegant Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room by the windows. The lights were dimmed slightly, setting a calm, peaceful mood, much like the one on the very first Christmas that had ever taken place; I now fully understood why they said that 'It came upon a midnight clear.' And to be sure, it was a most welcome atmosphere to Christine and I, after what we had been through over the past weeks. And at that moment, I thanked God for all of the blessings that had been bestowed on me, despite the hardship that I had endured lately. I twirled Christine about, then pulled her close. She looked up into my eyes with genuine happiness.

"Merry Christmas, Raoul,"

"And Merry Christmas to you too, Little Lotte"

A/N: Sooooooo sorry for the long wait, school is insane! Research papers, tests, scholarship applications. Anyway I hope that the wait won't be as long for the next chapter! Thanks for all of the reviews, I really appreciate them! I will also try to do a better job of answering them next time! Please, read and review! 


	17. New Years' Eve interruptions

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 17: New Years's Eve Interruptions

Raoul's POV

Christmas passed in bliss for Christine and I, with no unwelcome bumps in the road. My wound was now fully healed, and I was grateful to be back in good health. It was New Year's Eve and Christine and I were now making our way inside the Opera Populaire to attend the annual Masque Ball. Christine and I had come upon our costumes from the masquerade two years ago, and had decided to wear them just for fun. Christine had had to let hers out due to pregnancy, but she looked lovely nonetheless; she was glowing with the joy of motherhood. We opened the heavy doors to find a swarm of people already milling about, drinking wine or champagne. The party was due to start any minute.

Christine and I had hardly gotten in the door when I saw Meg rushing towards us, hand in hand with Lucien, a sparkling diamond on her ring finger.

"Raoul, Christine!" she called out. "Lucien has asked me to marry him!" she said gaily, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

I raised one eyebrow at my friend and grinned as Christine caught Meg in an embrace.

"Meg this is simply delightful! And congratulations to you as well Lucien." she said as she hugged him as well. "Isn't it wonderful Raoul?" she questioned, her dark eyes sparkling like bright stars.

"Yes, it is most welcome and wonderful news. I daresay you'll be able to whip Lucien into shape Meg." I chuckled. "Congratulations to you both." I said as I embraced my old friend and gave Meg a kiss on the cheek.

Lucien was strangely subdued, as though this immense happiness had,for once, struck him quite speechless. He had practiced his proposal speech in front of me, and he had been so nervous that his hands had been shaking. He did finally speak up however.

" Well Raoul, it seems as though I followed in your footsteps, proposing on New Year's Eve at a masquerade."

At these words the orchestra struck up a most familiar tune. "Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Hide your face so the world will never find you!..."

Lucien and I swept Meg and Christine out onto the dance floor and into the fast waltz that was going on. The room was a flash of colors; black, white, gold, and silver, with spots of other colors here and there. I twirled Christine about, and she laughed as I caught her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lucien and Meg dancing, not taking their eyes off of each other for a second. I smiled; I was glad to see my friend so happy. They reminded me of how Christine and I had been on the night that I had proposed to her; I just hoped that nothing would disturb their evening, as the Phantom had disturbed ours in his red death ensemble.

The music reached its climax, and then slowly came to an end. The four of us found one of the tables on the edge of the dance floor and we each indulged in a flute of champagne, save Christine of course. Andre and Firmin spotted us after a few minutes, and they looked a bit merry after too many glasses of red wine.

"Well hello there all of you!" said Firmin. "And congratulations to you Monsieur, and to you Madmoiselle Giry. Your mother is roaming about, telling everyone about your engagement."

Meg's cheeks flushed with both embarrasement and happiness.

"Yes," commented Andre. "For a woman who is normally so serious, she is quite ecstatic this evening." he then rested his eyes on me. "It is good to see you so well Vicomte." he said with a smile.

"Dreadful buisness with those gypsies, dreadful buisness," said Firmin with a shake of his head. "But they haven't stolen from anyone else since you tangled with them Raoul, perhaps you scared them off."

"I wish that were so, but there are many more gypsies that just the two that attacked us." I said gravely. "But enough talk of that; what are your plans for the next opera?"

"Well, we've planned to do Faust next; it is a Parisian favorite after all. We were hoping that Christine would be the lovely Marguerite." prompted Andre.

"I would be honored Monsieur," answered Christine, her eyes sparkling. "This will be the last opera that I will be able to do for a few months, due to the baby."

"Ah yes," said Firmin jovially. "That will be exciting."

As we were chatting, Madame Giry came over to us, a contented sort of half smile on her face. "I thought I might find the four of you here. Are you enjoying the party?"

"Its lovely," said Christine. "But I daresay that Meg and Lucien haven't noticed; they are too busy looking in each other's eyes." she said playfully.

This drew a roar of laughter from the whole group.

"You and Raoul did the exact same thing," said Meg. " And I must say, not much has changed."

I nodded and grinned; it was true, Christine and I were more in love than ever.

"You young ones go and dance," demanded Madame. "Don't let Andre and Firmin keep talking on."

We all laughed again and then got up to dance. Andre and Firmin went off, talking with some of the other guests. A slower waltz was playing now, but the room seemed even more crowded than it had been previously. It was a whirl of color and sound, with the finely dressed patrons and their wives sipping chamapagne, and the prominent members of the opera cast dancing with their spouses or fiances. The clock began to tick down the final seconds until the new year, and everyone turned to count down.

"Five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!"

Gold and silver confetti fell from the ceiling and the orchestra began to play with great gusto. I caught Christine in a kiss, as was a tradition for couples to do when the clock struck midnight on New Year's. But at that same moment, a crash was heard throughout the room as the great mahogany doors slammed open, bringing a bitterly cold draft inside. A group of five gypsies, four men and one woman entered the room. They were dirty and covered in tattooes, with scraggly hair. My stomach sank and my heart beat rapidly. I felt Christine squeeze my hand so hard that I thought I might have lost feeling in it. The one who appeared to be the leader roared across the room.

"Where is the Vicomte de Chagny!"

I let go of Christine's hand, and it nearly broke my heart to do so. Her eyes swam with tears, but I knew I had to face him.

"If he comes forward, no one will get hurt!" he boomed, pointing his sword menacingly around.

The crowd parted as I stepped into his view, slowly walking towards him, the room deadly silent.

"You would do best to leave. Now." I said in a hard voice, hardly believing that the sound was coming from my mouth.

He snickered snidely. "But de Chagny, I haven't gotten to 'talk' with that lovely wife of yours, or take my revenge on you."

This statement enraged me beyond belief and I stormed towards him, stopping only a few inches from his face. Since I had no weapon with me I grabbed the nearest candelabra and pointed it towards him.  
"You will NOT harm my wife, or anyone else in this room." I growled.

He laughed once more. "I wouldn't bet on that monsieur"  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope that you like this chapter! I know its a cliffhanger, and I do apologize, but I couldn't help myself. The next chap will be up soon! Please read and review! 


	18. Blackhearted Danger

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 18: Blackhearted Danger

Christine's POV

I stared in absolute terror as Raoul came face to face with the gypsy. I had never seen such a forbidding look on his face before, not even when he had confronted Erik. His face was set with a hard frown and his normally twinkling blue eyes blazed with such fury as I had never seen there before. I heard the gypsy speak again in an even harsher tone.

"You injured two of my best men de Chagny, and now they are sitting in a French jail for who knows how long! You should have expected this." he said as I saw him pull out what appeared to be a long dagger.

"I expected retaliation yes," Raoul said steadily. " But not here, in a place full of poeple who have nothing to do with the matter."

I saw Raoul inch steadily closer to the wretched man, who didn't even seem to notice as he continued with his crazed rant.

"No one gets the better of my clan! Not even an arrogant aristocrat! You will pay, and your little wife too!" he screamed.

Raoul remained calm, trying to keep the man's attention focused on him rather than on the candelabra in his hand. "Call me whatever names you like Monsieur, but you will harm no one" he said, with the air of one having a polite conversation.

"Oh, and what's going to stop me?" asked the fiend in a mocking tone.

"This," said Raoul as slammed the candelabra full force against the villan's head, knocking him completely unconsious. He pried the dagger out of his assailant's hand and swung around to face the remaining gypsies, his eyes flashing dangerously. In truth the gypsies looked a bit terrified. "I do believe I've had quite enough of you," he said angrily.

"Well," said one of the gypsies. "We haven't finished with you yet!"

With that the three remaining gypsies attacked. I drew in a sharp breath, and took a step forward; I couldn't let Raoul get hurt. But I felt a firm grasp on my wrist, preventing me from moving. It was Lucien.

"You mustn't Christine," he said. "You're in a delicate condition, and Raoul wouldn't want you to get hurt," he said firmly. Without warning he ran down the stairs and picked up the candelabra Raoul had abandoned and engaged one of the gypsies in combat.

I felt Meg wrap an arm around my shoulders her body shaking violently. I surveyed the room around me; it was chaos. Some people were trying to escape while others seemed to afraid to attempt. Andre, Firmin, and Madame Giry meanwhile were trying to calm the crowd. I saw Raoul knock one of his assailants out, leaving him with only one to battle. Lucien seemed well on his way to knocking out his as well. My heart was hammering in my chest as I watched, but my blood ran cold when I felt a grimy hand on the back of my neck.

"I believe you'll be coming with me Vicomtess," said the scratchy voice of the female gypsy.

I inched my way out of her grip and turned to face her. "I have no intention of doing so," I answered her.

"I really don't think you have a choice in the matter!" she said as she jabbed me in the stomach with her knee.

My eyes widened as I felt a searing pain, but I couldn't let myself be taken by this woman, I just wouldn't allow it. I lifted my shaking hand and slapped her hard across the face, knocking her to the floor.

"I do have a choice I believe," I said as I felt a pair of strong, familiar arms catch me. It was Raoul, who, at seeing me being attacked, had knocked his opppnent to the ground. The woman looked ready to get back up, but at Raoul's harsh, "Don't move," she stopped. He swung around with me in his arms, to see whether or not his last gypsy had been knocked out. He hadn't, but now there was a new man finishing him off.

The man was dressed all in black and as he gave the final swing, I saw a glint of a white mask in the candle light. From the expression on Raoul's face he appeared to have seem him as well; it was Erik, there was no doubt about that. How he had heard the racket from all the way down in the cellars remained to be seen, but he had helped finish off the last gypsy. I felt another surge of pain and I groaned out loud.

"Christine darling, my love..." crooned Raoul softly as he sat on the stairs and held me close.

"Raoul... I need a doctor... the baby..." was all I managed to get out.

"Someone, we need a doctor quickly! Christine is hurt!" he cried.

The room seemed to be swirling around me as I tried desperately to hold on toconsciousness.  
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Raoul's POV

I held Christine in my arms, panting from my battle with the gypsies, my body sore. I saw the room being restored to order from my perch on the cold marble stairs, though I did hear a few screams from below, and the announcement that all five guards that had been standing outside had been killed by the gypsies. Andre and Madame Giry were seeing the guests out, and Lucien was walking by each of the gypsies and binding his or her unconscious hands and feet. Firmin approached me, his face white as a sheet.

"Raoul, I sent someone for the police, and an unfamiliar man in black offered to ride for the docotor... I couldn't see his face, he was still wearing his mask." he said, his voice frantic. "Is she going to be all right?"

I looked down at Christine's face and locked eyes with her, willing her to be all right. She smiled weakly up at me.

"I'll be fine Monsieur Firmin," she said faintly, her eyes fluttering.

He went back down the stairs looking unsure, and tried to help restore calm.

"Christine," I said, my voice breaking. " You must hold on.. for both you and the baby." I felt hot tears sting my eyes and felt several drip down my cheek. And as hard as I tried to stop them, they just kept flowing. Those ruffian gypsies had done the worst thing possible; they had harmed my Christine and our unborn child that was growing inside her.

"I'll be fine Raoul, you'll see. You're here with me after all," she said, her eyes clouding in pain.

I held her closer and rocked her gentley. After about another twenty minutes passed, the doctor arrived. It was the very same doctor who had tended to me after I had been shot.

"Monsieur de Chagny! I came as soon as I could! Here, let me get her upstairs; I'll let you know something as soon as I can," he said kindly.

I nodded and carefully transferred her into his care, watching with red rimmed eyes as Madame Giry showed him to Christine's dressing room. I heard Madame whisper quickly to the good doctor the turn of events, and thinking that I was out of earshot, she asked him if the baby might be lost. I heard a whispered, "With a blow like that its possible..." I heard no more after this, as they turned the corner.

I shook my head, trying to ward off the painful thoughts that flooded my my mind, I walked slowly back down the stairs to the now almost deserted ball room and threw myself into a chair. The only ones left were myself, Lucien, and Meg, for Andre and Firmin had gone to talk with the police. I put my face in my hands, willing myself not to cry. I heard the hushed voices of Meg and Lucien in the background; Lucien finally found the courage to approach me. I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Raoul, I'm sure she will be all right. You know she will," he said, his voice sounding strange, as though he too were trying to hold back tears. "Its not your fault."

I sighed heavily and pulled my shoulder out of his grasp. "It is my fault Lucien, because I didn't get there in time to prevent it from happening." I heard the shuffle of footsteps as he pulled a chair around to face me.

"You were fighting off those fiends Raoul! You were fighting two at once, and you took care of the leader before that! And the minute you saw Christine in danger you flew to her side!" he reached over and shook me, as though he wished that I would see sense.

I stood up and began to pace. Then I turned around sharply and faced my friends. I felt all of my emotions welling up inside, all of the sadness and fury at the events that had happened recently. "I want to know why," I said slowly, my voice rising with every syllable, "it is that Christine can't have peace in her life! She's been through so much in her life and she dosen't need to have this added fear of losing our child! She deserves better! I am tired of her having to live in fear; she deserves to be happy and blast I will do anything to make it happen!" I stopped, breathing heavily. " I want to know why the world can't leave us alone!"

The room echoed with my shouts. I looked up at my friends shocked faces and I suddenly felt bad for shouting. "I'm sorry you two," I said. "I'm just very worried. I'm tired of having someone constantly after us, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you two; you're the best friends we have." I suddenly felt the arms of Lucien and Meg around me, enveloping me in a caring embrace.

"We know Raoul," said Meg gentley. "I think that rant may have done you good, you hold your emotions in too much. And you have every right to be angry."

Once we broke apart Lucien commented. "You and Christine have been through a great deal of things my friend, but you have both been brave through it all. We just have to pray that everything will be all right."

I gave my friends a half hearted smile, cheered slightly by their words. We were silent after that, and it left me to my thoughts. In the silence however, I heard the swishing of a cloak going down the hallway. I turned sharply, but saw nothing. I wondered fleetingly if Erik had been listening to my words. But my thoughts were interrupted when I heard the click of Madame's shoes on the stairs. I sprinted up to her, my heart racing, hoping that evreything was all right. I saw her chuckle at my hastiness behind her tired expression.

"How is she Madame Giry? Are she and the baby all right?" I asked in a rush.

"Both Christine and the child are fine. The blow, by some miracle, didn't force her into early labor. There may be some minor complications later on, but they will both be fine. God is smiling on your family tonight Raoul," she said with a smile.

She gave my face the once over, apparently seeing the tracks of the tears on my face. She gave me a quick hug before bidding me to go to Christine. I ran up the stairs, I didn't need to be told twice.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed this! Thanks once again for the lovely reviews! I promise to answer the next ones, I just didn't get a chance to anwer the last chapter's. Your reviews are always so encouraging and inspiring, so please keep them coming! Thanks! 


	19. Raoul's Secret Plan

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 19: Raoul's Secret Plan

A/N: Okay, this is a very un action oriented chapter. It really looks into how Raoul is feeling at the moment and why he makes the decision he does. I hope that you like it. I also apologize for the shortness, the next chapter will make up for it, believe me. Enjoy!  
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Raoul's POV

It was just a week after New Year's Now, and I sat by the window in the parlour reading the newspaper. As had been the norm for the past few days, it featured a front page headline about the attack on the Opera Populaire. I sighed; I was growing tired of seeing mine and Christine's names constanly being mentioned in connection with this. It caused so much discomfort for both of us, we really didn't want to be reminded of it every day. The house was rather quiet at the present moment. Jacques, Caroline, and Sarah were all resting, and Christine had gone with Meg to begin looking for wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses.

It was a lovely day outside, so why wasn't I out horseback riding with Lucien as he had suggested? The fact was, as the week had gone by I had felt my usually vibrant spirits dwindling and my energy fading. Yes, the gypsies had been delayed, but they hadn't been stopped permanently. The police still couldn't find their lair. I wished more than anything that all the bad things that had happened over the recent weeks would simply vanish. It seemed that Christine and I had been through more in the past year and a half than many people went through in their whole lives. I felt much older than my twenty years, and Christine was much wiser than her eighteen.

I was exhausted of Christine and I being constantly in the spotlight. Yes, the year spent at the house by the sea had been peaceful and filled with bliss, but a good majority of that has been spent recovering from the events of the opera house. And besides, we couldn't run away from the world forever, as much as we wished we could. Sometimes I sincerely wished that I wasn't a Vicomte, I wished that I could simply be Raoul. I loved the fact that Christine's singing was so popular in Paris, for it made her so happy; people came from all over to hear her sing. But I wished that people wouldn't always connect her as the "opera singer involved in that Phantom scandal". She could simply be Christine.

We could travel around Europe together, she singing and I playing the violin as her father had taught me. We would only tell our close friends and family where we were. We could have our chidren without it being all over the papers. We would have our love and that would be all we would need. At the present moment running away from our problems to a far away place where nothing could touch us was very appealing. But I knew that we couldn't do that. I shook my head, trying to make myself see sense. I wanted so badly to be able to protect Christine from any harm, I wanted her eyes to be always alight, I wanted us to be able to live in the joy and peace that I knew we could achieve.

I jumped in my chair as I heard a crash of thunder outside. Lighting began to flash and the rain began to pound against the window. Ah brilliant, a thunderstorm. I hoped that Christine and Meg were in a safe location and that Lucien hadn't been caught on his horse in the rain. I tossed the newspaper aside and removed my reading glasses. I walked down the hallway to the library, my footsteps echoing in the silence. I had gone in there with the intention of perusing one of my favorite novels, but as I stepped inside, my eyes instantly set upon a photograph of Christine and I on our wedding day. It was one of the more casual pictures of the many that had been taken. I had picked Christine up in my arms, and she had her arms around my neck, a laughter filled smile on her face. I could see the light in both her eyes and mine and knew immediately that that was what I wanted to have again.

My eyes shifted to another picture of us, this one during our childhood. We had our arms casually around each other's shoulders and carefree smiles on our faces; we had been seven and nine at the time. Then I focused on another picture that had been taken just recently at the grand opening of the Opera, just after we had found out about Christine's pregnancy. I stood behind her with my arms around her shoulders; she grinned in bliss, her brown ringlets cascading down her shoulders. It struck me very clearly now that the only way to get back what we had was to take matters into my own hands. If the police couldn't catch the ruffians then I would search for the hideout myself. I wouldn't confront them alone, that would be foolish, but I would spy on them. Then I would alert the police and lead the charge, no matter what they said. I was sick of us having to live in fear, so I would nip this in the bud before something else happened.

There was also the matter of Erik. Was he truly on our side? It seemed like it, but I was still very hesitant to trust him. But perhaps his hate for the gypsies overcame his hate for me, and so in order to help protect Christine he was willing to help. And we could use all the help we could get, that was for sure. My mind was swirling with thoughts, but they were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. I walked into the entrance hall to find Christine entering, back from her outing with Meg. She took off her cloak and shook the water off of it, looking a bit perturbed at having gotten caught in the storm. Her lips were in a pout and the expression on her face was rather comical. I chuckled and she looked up, just noticing my presence.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, smiling despite herself.

"Nothing," I said, grinning. "I'm glad that you got back before the storm got worse. What is that?" I asked, gesturing at the box in her hand.

"Oh, well one of the shops Meg and I looked in for wedding gowns also had baptisimal gowns. I know it's a while still before the baby will be baptized, but I couldn't resist. It will be perfect for our baby, whether it be a boy or girl." she said, a happy tint in her cheeks. "What have you been doing today?"

I hesitated slightly; I couldn't tell her about my plan to spy on the gypsies, it would worry her far too much. I had never kept anything from Christine before, so this was hard.

"Nothing really," I responded. "I just did a bit of reading."

She looked at me, concerned. "I thought you were going riding with Lucien?" she questioned curiously.

"I decided not too. I haven't been feeling very well today." I answered as we made our way into the parlour, the rain falling so hard now that we couldn't even see out the windows.

We sat down and she rested her hand over mine, looking at me with those soulful brown orbs of hers. "Raoul you've been so quiet lately, what's wrong?"

I sighed and stroked her hair absentmindedly. "I just worry about you Christine, what with all of this going on. You so deserve happiness and the right to live without this fear of those ruffain gypsies. You've been through enough already."

She leaned in close to me, resting her head on my shoulder. "Oh Raoul, I will admit that I would give anything to make all of these problems go away. But I could never be completely unhappy; I have you." She said as she kissed my lips.

I kissed her tenderly back. She was right about that, we would always have each other, no matter what.  
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A/N: I hope that you liked this! Please review! I'm getting close to 100 reviews, yay! I love you guys! 


	20. An Uncomfortable Coincidence

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 20: An Uncomfortable Coincidence

Raoul's POV

I was standing inside my office at the firm, putting on my coat when Phillipe entered, looking suspicious.

"Raoul, why are you leaving early today?" he asked, trying to make it look like he wasn't dying of curiosity.

"I told you Phillipe, I have some business affairs to manage with Andre and Firmin today," I said. There was no way that I could tell him that I was gong out to search for the gypsy's lair; he would never allow it.

"Ah," he responded, still not sounding convinced. "Rehearsals for Faust are going well I trust?"

"Yes, they are going superbly," I answered as I moved towards the door.

He followed as I walked into the main lobby and towards the exit. "Well I hope that all goes well. Be careful out there Raoul, and don't do anything foolish." he said seriously.

This was the only trouble with having a brother whom I was so close too, and who was a father figure; he knew me far too well.

"Don't worry Phillipe, I'll be careful," I said as I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Just promise me you won't go looking for the gypsies," he said, his eyes pleading.

It was a good thing I had my back turned, because the expression on my face would have given me away instantly. "I would never try to face them alone Phillipe," I responded, telling the truth. I wasn't going to fight the gypsies, I was going to spy on them. "Anyway, I must be going or I'll be late. I'll see you soon."

He waved at me as I walked down the brick steps and out into the sunlit streets. The trouble was however, that I didn't know where to begin. Paris was an enormous city, and the gypsies could be anywhere inside it. I decided to start out near the opera house; Madame Giry had said that that was where their original location had been all of those years ago. The streets were busy today, and I tried to avoid the stares of passerby, which had only increased since my name had been all over the papers after the New Year's Eve incident. I glanced at my pocket watch; it was only two hours before I had to be back at the opera to meet Christine. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of time. I felt my stomach churn at the thought of these gypsies and their cruelty; they had to be stopped. I could see the opera in the distance, but as I turned the corner, I ran into someone rather solid.

"Blast!" I shouted, rubbing my bruised forehead and looking up to see who it was.

A head of shaggy auburn hair and a pair of laughing green eyes met mine; it was Lucien.

"Sorry Raoul, I wasn't watching where I was going." he said. "Where are you off too?"

I hesitated slightly, but kept my cool. "Just running a few errands before I have to meet Christine after rehearsal." I answered.

He surveyed me for a moment before saying very matter of factly, "You're going to look for that gypsy hideout, aren't you?"

I gaped at him for a moment before admitting the truth. "How did you know?"

He grinned. "Raoul my friend, I've known you since we were toddlers. And besides, I'm very perceptive."

I couldn't help but laugh at this. "I should have known that I couldn't fool you. But I didn't want to worry Christine, so I didn't tell her what I was up too just yet. Promise me that you won't let it slip until I feel that she's ready to hear it." I said seriously.

He nodded, though he looked uncertain. "I'm coming with you Raoul," he said firmly.

I opened my mouth to argue but decided against it; he looked quite determined.

"All right," I said. "But we must be careful, this could be dangerous. Now the question is, where do we begin?"

Lucien frowned. "I don't have any kind of idea," he said truthfully.

I looked down the alleyway next to the opera, praying for a sign to help me find anything that might help. Lucien and I walked down the alley silently, looking. It was then that something caught my eye; there etched on the brick was the symbol of the snake wrapped around a lilly. It was very tiny and only struck me because I had seen it before. Lucien too, noticed it. I couldn't believe we had had such quick luck; I silently thanked God for this good fortune.

"Look Raoul, they keep going on every few bricks. It must be near here somewhere."

I nodded. "Indeed. It's quite clever of them. No one would notice this unless they knew what the symbol related to."

I looked down the allwyway; it grew darker and dimmer with every step, but Lucien and I would press on, this could be the first step to getting rid of these blasted gypsies and saving not only our loved ones but all of Paris from their terror. All of a sudden though, I heard a small noise behind me and a soft "Dammit!" I whipped around to find none other than the Phantom of the Opera standing behind Lucien and me. He looked rather disgruntled, as though he was quite dissapointed that he hadn't been able to sneak up on me undetected.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent. Two parts of me conflicted when I saw this man now; one that was very grateful for his help the night of the masquerade, and one whose nightmares were still haunted with the terrible memories left behind after the night of Don Juan.

His disdain for me was clear on his face, but I noticed that it wasn't as strong as it had once been. But this was probably only due to the fact of our unity against this common enemy. "Well I suppose I'm here for the same reason that you and your friend are de Chagny, to look for the lair." he said curtly.

Somehow I didn't think that this was a coincidence. "You followed us didn't you? You were spying on me!" I said indignantly.

He smirked. "I saw you walking by the opera from my posistion on the roof and it was evident that you were looking for something, so I followed."

I felt anger burn inside, my temper short due to the stress of late. "What did you think, that I couldn't find the lair on my own? I'm quite capable you know!" I said, knowing that I was being irrational, but not caring because I was fully now fully incensed.

My comment however, only seemed to egg him on. "Well you've been looking pale and rather frazzled lately Vicomte, perhaps you aren't up to it?" he said snidely. "You look most under the weather, so perhaps you should leave this to me!" he suggested, goading me even further.

"I don't think so," I said, my voice rising. "I have as much right to be here as you do. You certainly deserve a right to revenge, but I do as well."

Lucien, showing some of his rare common sense, shouted at us to stop bickering. "If you two don't stop, the fiends might hear you!" he said seriously. "I know you two can't stand each other, but you must be civil, at least until we can rid ourselves of this common enemy."

This statement subdued us both, and we walked down the dingy alley. We walked for what seemed like hours, until we heard muffled voices behind the brick wall. We stopped abruptly, listening to a raspy voice speaking.

"Chagny has caused us a load of trouble and if he isn't silenced then it will be the end of our clan!"

Another voice spoke up. "Clearly something must be done. But attacking the opera is too risky. I think attacking the wife again will tempt the Vicomte to come looking for us..."

I supressed a bitter chuckle. Little did they know that I had already found them.

"Yes," said the raspy voice. "He is very sensitive about his wife. That's it then, we will do it. But when?"

"Two days from now, at night. But we have to be sly about it, they'll be suspecting something..." he suddenly stopped speaking, as though he had heard something. "I don't think we're alone anymore." he said.

Erik, Lucien, and I locked eyes for a moment; there was nothing for it, if we didn't want to be discovered by the gypsies and have them know we knew what they were up to, we had to go. We ran down the alleyway and out of sight just before we were discovered. We stopped right next to the opera, panting, our hearts racing and our minds spinning.  
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A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone, school has been hectic, as I'm sure every senior who's about to graduate can relate. I hope you like this, and I will try to have the next chapter up sooner. I'm sure that will be possile since I'm now through with my English research paper! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, I love you guys, and I wouldn't be able to write without you. Keep up those reviews, and I will answer them as soon as possible! 


	21. Silence

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 21: Silence

Raoul's POV

The three of us stood outside the opera house, an awkward silence between us. It was odd really, to stand and watch people live their everyday lives, while we had to worry about planning a defense against these gypsies in just 48 hours time. Not to mention, the opera was in the midst of its dress rehearsals for Faust, and Christine would be through with the production just in time for her maternitny leave. My mind was racing, but one thought stood out much more prominently than all the others; doing absolutely anything to protect Christine and the baby from these terrible gypsies. Lucien finally broke the tense moment.

"Do you think they'll come out and look for us?" he asked, his voice unsure.

"No, they won't," I answered him. " They didn't see us so they might think it was an animal or something of the sort."

"But you can be sure," said Erik stonily, "That they will be viscious in their next attack. I have no doubt that they will attack Christine, and I have no doubt that they will be after your life Vicomte."

I looked up at him as he said this, and saw what looked to be a flash of empathy in his eyes, for knowing what this enemy was capable of. But in a moment it was gone, only to be replaced by the look of loathing that he seemed to have reserved just for me.

"We should go to the police," I said firmly. " They need to know.

"Yes," said Erik "Perhaps they do. You two go along, they'll only think that you're insane if I come along."

He turned and walked towards the opera, but before he could get out of earshot, there was something I had to say.

"Thankyou for your help the other night!"

He turned sharply, surveying me. "You're welcome. Christine is well now I trust, seeing as she is in your care?"

"Yes, she's doing well." I said, rather surprised at that comment.

He nodded stiffly, then without another word, he was gone.

"He's a strange one," said Lucien. "But you'll want to be careful Raoul, you and he certainly aren't on the best of terms.

"No we aren't, and I certainly never thought we would actually unite against something, but he's been very helpful with this, and I'm thankful. Come, we need to get to the police station."

We walked quickly towards the police station, reaching it within a few minutes. The officer at the front desk was incidentally one of the men leading the gypsy investigation.

"Monsieur le Vicomte, Monsieur Delacroix! You two look rather winded, is something wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Well officer, we happened to have found the location of the gypsy lair. We also overheard their plan; they intend on attacking my home in two days time."

He stared at me incredulously for a moment, as though he were in shock. "This is the biggest break we've had in this case so far! I can't believe it! We'll be able to crush them when they least expect it!"

After a long discussion with he and several officers, it was decided that he would bring a group of men to my huse on that night, and hide themselves, tricking the gypsies into believing that we were there alone. I informed them of all I had heard, and argued that it might be best if we simply attacked the lair itself, before they had a chance to attack us. When the police disagreed, I was quite irritated, but insisted that I would join their ranks in fighting the fiends. I then thanked the officers, and Lucien and I headed towards the opera. I could feel every muscle in my body tense as I thought of what was to come, and I could only pray to God that everything would turn out right. Lucien was silent beside me; it seemed that for once, he could find nothing to say.

We walked up to the opera and made our way into the lobby, where we saw Christine, Meg, and Madame gathered. I suddenly felt ill; I had no desire to upset the look of joy on Christine's face. When she saw me she ran towards mw and threw her arms around my neck.

""Raoul I felt the baby kick during rehearsal, isn't it exciting!"

Despite myself, I smiled. Any mention of our child brought instant joy to my heart. But it couldn't last, I had to tell her what was going on.

"Raoul, is something wrong?" she asked as she pulled back. "You look pale."

I sighed, but gathered my resolve. I told the tale to the three of them, their faces growing more shocked with every syllable. When I finished, the room seemed to resonate with the awful silence. Madame Giry broke it.

"Did you happen to run into Erik while you were searching?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered simply without elaborating on it. Sometimes I wondered if the good woman knew everything.

It was then that I looked at Christine, and saw her eyes swimming with those tears that I never wished to see again, those tears that crushed my heart. I could tell however, that she seemed to be desperately trying to hold them back. I wiped them gentley away with my thumb, and kissed her forehead.

"It will be all right Christine," I said with absolute sincerity. "I will make it so."

At this statement, my voice quavered and died. But it mattered not, for Christine's soft tones took over. "Raoul, you could have been hurt, you could have been killed, they could have caught all of you," she said in both a worried and a stern tone. "You worry me my love. But I know that there's no stopping you once you're set on something."

I found my voice again, and answered. "But I found the lair Christine, we're finally ahead of them. Wasn't it worth it?"

"Next time, just promise that you'll warn me." she said.

I nodded, and held her close as Madame adressed us all.

"You should all go home. Christine, Raoul, I believe we shall all be staying at your house, and Phillipe will consent to as well, I'm sure. We should all stay together at a time like this."

We all agreed, and gathered our coats and headed towards my carriage. I wondered fleetingly what Erik was up to. And so the wait began. But as night fell, whether or not I would simply wait to be attacked remained in question.  
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A/N: I apologize for the long wait, the end of senior year is crazy. Thankyou so much for your reviews, they encourage me to keep writing! I hope you like this chapter, and I 'll be sure to answer your reviews as soon as possible. 


	22. A Change in Plans

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 22: A Change in Plans

Raoul's POV

Everyone had passed the hours after arriving at my estate sitting in the parlour, in front of the fire, hardly speaking. Phillipe sat in a chair by the window, staring outside, his face as pale as the moonlight. Initially he had been angry with me for searching out the lair, but now he was simply sick with worry over the news that we had overheard. Lucien and Meg sat upon the couch, Meg's head upon Lucien's shoulder. Lucien's green eyes were clouded with concern, the ususal smile gone from his face. Madame Giry sat next to Christine, trying to coax her to eat something. Jacques, Caroline, and Sarah had prepared dinner, but Christine had been unable to eat anything. After a while I had been desperate for some air, some time to think without all the tnesion, so I gave Christine's hand a squeeze and had gone out onto the back deck, where I now sat.

The night was chilly, with an ever present drizzle that had ceased to fade over the past hours. The clouds hung over Paris like a pair of handcuffs on a prisoner; they refused to budge. And they brought with them a feeling of ill foreboding, a feeling that something wasn't right. It was unnaturally silent, and the moon was nowhere to be seen. I sighed. Could I truly sit here and wait to be attacked? Could I really depend upon the police? They always seemed to get there just after we needed them. I had just made up my mind that something had to be done when I felt a most familiar hand on my shoulder. I smiled slightly, reaching back to catch her hand in mine.It was a sweet moment, but the decision that I had to impart to her was so grave.

"Christine, I refuse to sit here and wait to be attacked. I refuse to let them get to you ever again. What if something happened to you or our child, or to anyone that we loved? I wouldn't be able to live with myself, love," I stopped and pulled her to me, the harsh evening wind blowing around us.

After a few moments she spoke. "But Raoul what are you going to do, seek them out yourself? That's far too dangerous! You're always so noble, have you ever stopped to consider what I would do if something were to happen to you? I've almost lost you twice, I don't want that to happen again, and neither do the others who care about you..."

But her desperate words were interupted by a deep and urgent whisper.

"Chagny!" It was Erik, who had suddenly appeared next to the porch railing. "We must go now it you care for your loved ones safety at all!"

I stared at him, quite baffled. "What has happened?"

"I have no time to explain it to you now, you foolish boy! I will tell you on our way there!" he said harshly, with a signifigant glance at Christine.

It was clear in his eyes that he had heard something that concerned her, and despite my trust issues with the man, I knew he wouldn't lie about this; if there was one thing he laothed more that me, it was the gypsies. There was nothing for it; I grabbed my sword from its position on the porch railing and put it on. I turned to face Christine and saw a melancholy but resolved expression on her face.

"I must go Christine, don't you see?" I said, hoping desperately for her to understand why I had to do this.

"I do Raoul, but please promise me that you'll come back," she pleaded, her eyes wide. "Promise me."

"I promise," I said, kissing her swiftly. "Tell the others I've gone, and swear to me that you'll stay close to Lucien and Phillipe."

She nodded, and I kissed her forehead.

"Come Chagny!" growled Erik impatiently.

I gave Christine one last glance and then set off with Erik, galloping off into the night, and into the unknown.

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Christine's POV

I watched Raoul ride off into the darkness with Erik, stopping only for a moment to ponder how strange it was. It certainly wasn't a sight I had ever expected to see. After a minute however, I dashed inside, the shock of Raoul's sudden departure ebbing and the panic setting in. Once I reached the parlour, Meg was the first to notice my presence.

"Christine, has something happened? Your face is as pale as a ghost!" she said, her blue eyes filled with worry.

The words seemed to fall out of my mouth, completely outof my control. "Raoul has gone with Erik. Something has gone amiss about the gypsies. Erik heard something..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore. My gaze fell on Phillipe, who was standing now.

"He went with that Phantom fellow of all people to the gypsy lair itself!" he said in a breathless voice, the color draining slowly from his face. "Has he gone insane Christine? He could be killed!" he said, his voice rising, his short, dark blonde hair looking grayer than ever.

"He's just doing what he feels is right," I answered. "He hasn't gone insane."

"Well I'm going after him!" exclaimed Lucien. "I know the way there. Phillipe you ought to stay here and look after Christine."

"I'm going Lucien, he's my little brother!" said Phillipe, his voice cracking from holding back tears. "Madame Giry, will you make sure that nothing happens to Christine?" asked Phillipe, his hand resting on my shoulder protectively.

Madame looked ready to answer, but before she could, I interrupted.

"I'm going with you," I said firmly, hardly recognizing my own voice. "I'm not going to just stand by and let this happen. And after all," I said realizing I had found a loophole, "Raoul made me swear that I would stay close to you two."

Everyone in the room stared at me, obviously not knowing what to say. It was Meg who spoke first.

"I think you're right Christine, you have every right to go." said Meg quietly.

"But Meg," said Lucien desperately. "Christine is pregnant, she could get hurt, she..."

"She loves Raoul!" exclaimed Meg. "And I daresay that I would do the same for you Lucien!"

He stopped at her words, and it was Phillipe who next looked ready to argue, but Madame interrupted him.

"I believe that she will go even if you don't want her to Phillipe, and it would be better that you two be by her side that her being on her own wouldn't you say?"

Both grudgingly agreed, but cast worried glances my way. I knew it was irrational of me to go, but my heart told me that it was the right thing to do. I whisked upstairs, and slipped on a pair of Raoul's old riding breeches and shirt, and pulled my hair out of my face. I wanted to ride there, but Lucien put his foot down, saying that that would harm the baby. We would take the carriage and park it right outside the opera, then walk to the lair. I came back downstairs, and the three of us were off. Madame and Meg were on their way to the police station, to inform the authorities of what had occured. Then, with Phillipe driving, we set off. Things were quiet between us until, Lucien spoke a few words of encouragment in my ear.

"I'm sure he'll be all right Christine. And as strange as this sounds, at least he's got that Erik fellow with him." he said gently.

"He's so brave," I whispered. "Sometimes I wish he weren't, then I wouldn't have to worry so much."

"And he married a brave woman," said Lucien, smiling slightly at me.

I smiled back, grateful for his encouraging presence. It was silent after that. I placed a hand on my stomach and said a prayer to God for the safety of my unborn child as the horses sped across the countryside toward an unknown fate.

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A/N: Hey everyeone! I hope that you like this chapter. Sorry for the cliffie, but I couldn't help myself. Thankyou so much for your wonderful reviews, I appreciate them so much; please keep it up. Enjoy! 


	23. Imminent Danger

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 23: Imminent Danger

Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing that concerns Phantom, but I do own my original characters, so yay for me!

Raoul's POV

A cold wind whipped across my face as Erik and I galloped down the lane and into Paris. We were riding too fast to speak, so I sincerely hoped that Erik would tell me what was going on when we reached our destination. My hands gripped the reins so tightly that I could fell then going numb; it was purely from expereince that I managed to stay on my faithful horse's back at the speed we were going. I could scarcely make out Erik's form as we rode on, his black clothes and black horse were almost fully concealed in the night. Only his pure white mask and the white of my stallion's fur stood out.

My mind was racing; what could have happened to make Erik dash to my house in such a panic? There was only one thing for sure; it had something to do with Christine, and that fact fueled the fire of fury in my heart against the gypsies even more. Never would I allow those fiends to harm her, never again. We came to a halt outside the alleyway, our horses hooves skidding on the cobblestone. I vaulted off the side of my horse and started to make my way towards the lair, my mind so filled with determination to finish this battle and protect my loved ones that I wasn't even thinking straight. I had only taken two steps however, when a hand grabbed the back of my jacket and roughly pulled me back. I turned and heard Erik's harsh tone.

"You musn't rush in there without thinking Chagny! I believe that you made that mistake when you chased after me to my lair a year ago." He smirked but continued. "These are not the most intelligent of beings, so we must take advantage of that." Our eyes met for a moment, and it seemed that we both knew what we were in for.

"What did you hear them talking about?" I questioned. "What made you come dashing to my house like you did?"

He looked at me, and I couldn't read his expression but he seemed to hesitate.

"When you went to tell Christine about what we had heard, I realized that my cloak had fallen off. I knew if they found it they would suspect that someone had been spying on them. I found it right outside where we had been standing, and I heard them still plotting. In short Vicomte, they felt that they should waste no time in attacking you. They were going to kidnap Christine to lure you to them. But fortunately we will meet them head on."

"Perhaps then, we will be able to take them by surprise?" I asked, so angry at the thought of them trying to kidnap Christine that fear didn't even enter my thoughts.

"That is our other advantage, and we must use it. And now we will go." He began to walk forward down the alleyway.

"Wait!" I said, and he turned. There was something that I had to know. "Why are you helping me?"

His eyes bore into mine for a few seconds before he answered. " Because if there's one thing that I loathe more than you de Chagny, it is these wretched gypsies. And because I respect that fact that we both care about Christine enough to work together."

"I thank you," I answered him." I'll go first."

He nodded, and I led the way down the alley, shedding my coat and tie, so they would not get in my way. The alley seemed darker and longer than it had previously. It seemed an eternity until we got to the end, and I could feel something sinister in the air as we approached. The inconspicuous entrance to the hideout loomed in front of me, the small snake etched into it staring at me as though daring me to enter. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, lifting up a silent prayer to God that if something happened to me that Christine and our child would be kept safe. I then nodded to Erik and we both pulled out our swords and broke down the door with one push of our feet.

Dust filled the air and my vision was obscured for a moment, but when it cleared a most overwhelming sight met my eyes. There stood at least fourty gypsies, looking shocked, but ready to fight.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Vicomte de Chagny!" came a deep and commanding sort of voice.

I looked up to see one of the biggest men I'd ever seen in my life. I was six feet tall, and he stood at least six inches taller than me. His muscles bulged under his shirt, and his black hair hung down far past his shoulders. His eyes were filled with nothing but ruthlessness.

"We were just on our way to find you, but it seems that you have saved us the trouble. But where is that pretty little wife of yours? We were hoping that she might come with you," he sneered, taking a step towards me.

I felt the bile rise in my throat at what the man suggested. "You shall never touch Christine!" I snarled, my voice so harsh that I hardly recognized it.

He merely chuckled, which only infuriated me further.

"Are you going to laugh or are you going to fight me?" I called out scathingly, knowing it sounded childish but not giving a damn. The comment the fiend had made about Christine had angered me beyond belief.

Then, faster that lighting he came at me and our swords slammed together. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another gypsy engage Erik in combat. I wondered fleetingly if they would recognize him as the one they had once called 'The Devil's Child.' But the cruel voice of my attacker brought my attention back to my own fight full circle.

"I've been looking forward to our meeting Vicomte," he spat. " You are the only man who dared to fight back against my fellow gypsies. Most aristocrats we robbed just let us take the money and go."

"Its not the money that I care about!" I yelled over the clang of the swords. "Its the fact that you endanger the life of my wife and of others. You aren't just a pack of thiefs, you are murderers to!"

He smirked. "I assure you Vicomte, your murder is the next on my list!"

With that, he pushed down on my sword with his and attempted to make me cut my own throat. Just as the blade moved ever closer to my throat, I managed to to push him off with more strength than I thought possible. He went flying through the air, landing amongst a pile of boxes. Its amazing the things that adrenaline will do to you. The man's confusion gave me a chance to survey the situation. I whipped around to see Erik fighting what appeared to be the leader's right hand man. He seemed to have almost beaten the man quite easily until he was elbowed in the face, causing his mask to fall off. I had hardly had time to consider what the repurcussions of this might be when a sudden noise distracted me; there in the entrance to the hideout stood Lucien, Phillipe, and...Christine. My heart went into my throat at the sight of them. The three people that I cared for most in the world were standing directly in danger's path.

I wanted to slap myself for telling Christine to stay near Lucien and Phillipe, I should have foreseen something like this happening. Christine was a determined woman, and a brave one, and when it came to me, like I with her, she would go to any lengths to help. Oh how I wished she were safe at home! But surprisingly enough, they weren't noticed by the gypsies at first, because they were focused on Erik.

"Louis!" called the man that Erik had been fighting to the man that I had been fighting. "Its the Devil's Child, the one that killed your father, it must be him, look at his face!"

Erik's eyes burned with such hatred that even I had never seen there before, and I certainly didn't blame him; these people had done him a cruel and horrible wrong.

"And his death was well deserved," Erik growled. "I was tired of the abuse."

The man called Louis stood up and brushed himself off, giving both Erik and I dirty looks as he did so. He surveyed the room, a wicked, lopsided grin on his face.

" Well, I couldn't have hoped for a more entertaining evening. I have the Vicomte de Chagny, who has managed to put half my clan in jail, I have the legendary Devil's Child who killed my father, and oh what have we here?" he asked, a cruel excitement in his voice. " It seems that the Comte de Chagny has decided to join us, along with the lovely Vicomtess." His eyes drifted to Lucien. "And you must be that aristocrat that helped fight my men at the opera house. Well, I welcome you all."

I stepped towards him, wiping the sweat from my brow. "You will touch none of them," I said in a voice of forced calm.

He merely chuckled at me. " I have a propostion for you Chagny. Well really you have no choice in the matter, so here it is.You and I will duel one on one. If you win, you and everyone may go free. If I win, well, I won't go there just yet." He grinned evilly.

I stood stock still, and felt the night close in around me as though it were trying to choke the very life out of me. I saw no other way out of this. Of course I certainly didn't trust the man to keep his word, but perhaps is he were out of the way, then the rest of the clan might scatter. I swung around to look at the others; Lucien looked scared but determined, Phillipe looked incensed, Christine was as pale as a ghost, and Erik's expression was livid.

"All right," I said grimly to the man.

"I hope that you've enjoyed yourself Vicomte, for in accepting this you have accepted death. Bind the others!" he called to his henchmen.

I looked at ny loved ones as the horrible gypsies tied them up. Lucien and Phillipe looked like they might resist, but they trusted me and let themselves be tied. When they tried to tie Christine however, she broke free and ran over to me, her eyes slightly wild. She took me by the shoulders, curls falling out of her ponytail as the harsh wind blew around us.

"Raoul, you musn't! You'll be killed!" she said, her breaths shallow.

I looked at her angelic, innocent face that was only accented more by motherhood, and saw tears springing up there. There they were, those diamond like tears that were my greatest weakness. For the first time I could not find those words of comfort that I wished to convey to her. I hadn't felt this desperate, ironically enough, since we had been trapped in the Phantom's lair. I had been able to calm her fears night after night as she had experienced her nightmares, but now I had to search for words to soothe my love's fears.

"Trust in me Christine, everything will be all right." I placed a hand on her stomach. "I do this to protect you and our child."

"But what if I want to protect you...?" She was cut off by a stern remark from Erik.

"Christine, let him do what he must," he said, and I noticed that his hands were now tied.For the first time, I agreed with my adversary. I kissed Christine's cheek, and she gave me a sad smile, and made her way back over to the others. Louis then stepped in front of me, his expression like one of a predator surveying its prey.

"Now Vicomte, we bow before we duel," he said, bending his neck a fraction of an inch.

I merely stood there; I would not bow to him.

"You won't bow? Not what I expected of an aristocrat such as yourself," he said sarcastically.

"I have no wish to waste valuable minutes of my life conversing with you about manners, of which you clearly have none," I said harshly as I pointed my sword at him.

A clang rang through the air as the blades of good and evil clashed.

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A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I just took my last exam today, so my updates will be much more frequent without school. I hope you guys enjoyed this. Can anyone guess where I got that little bowing bit from? If you've read the forth Harry Potter book you'll know! Please read and reivew! Vive le Vicomte! RC! 


	24. A Battle to be Remembered

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 24: A Battle to be Remembered

A/N: See, I told you that I would update soon! Thanks so much for the reviews, I appreciate them so much! I would also like to thank my cousin for giving some ideas for this chapter; he's good with writing battle strategies. While I was writing this, I kept imagining how Raoul and Erik looked during the sword fight scene in the movie, so while your reading this, imagine how they looked then. I even put a picture of Raoul with his sword in hand on my computer desktop to look at while I wrote, and it really helped me write his angry side. Just thought that was interesting. Enjoy!

Raoul's POV

My hair clung to my face and sweat trickled down the back of my neck as I exerted all the energy that I posessed in fighting Louis, the wretched gypsy leader that had caused such havoc and pain in my life over the past months. It seemed as though with each swing of the sword I took out more and more of my anger on him. Christine and I had come back to Paris to start anew, not to create more bad memories, and these gypsies had almost ruined any chance of that happening. I felt myself becoming short of breath as the fight continued; this man was gigantic and posessed more strength because of it. I did have one advantage however; I could mve quicker than he could.

"Growing tired Vicomte?" he taunted. "Would you like to just give it up now and let me kill you?"

My eyes narrowed as he spoke. "No, I don't think so." I answered him as I took advantage of his arrogance and spun around, slashing his legs with the tip of my sword.

His shout of pain and fury echoed through the air, sounding much like a wolf howling at the moon. He stumbled towards me, almost falling as he did so. It was as I had hoped; his speed had decreased even more, increasing my advantage in that area. But I wasn't prepared for what happened next. I felt myself being picked up by my shirt and got one glimpse of my enemy's ruthless face before I flew through the air and felt my head colliding with a solid brick wall. It was pain beyond pain, and it felt as though skull had been cracked. I felt the blood seeping down the back of my neck from the impact. Blackness threatened me, and I felt as though I might pass out until I saw a sight that made my heart stand still. Louis was heading straight for Christine, a smirk on his face.

" Well , Vicomtess," he began. But he never got a chance to finish. I stood up like lighting, my head pounding and my shout reverberating throughout the room.

"Do not touch her!" I yelled, sounding nothing like myself. Anger coursed through my veins as I ran across the cold stone floor. The man looked as though he were about to laugh at me until the broadside of my sword slammed against his forehead, knocking him out cold. Everything went deadly silent. The gypsies stopped jeering and for a moment even the crickets seemed to stop chirping.

"Well then," I said firmly. " I believe the deal is sealed. I won, so we will taking our leave."

I was the first one to move. The gypsies, who seemed to be lost without their leader, didn't budge. I sheathed my sword and unbound Christine, Lucien, and Phillipe. When I moved to unite Erik I discovered that he had alreadty untied himself. We made to leave and quickly, but when I looked behind to see if Erik followed, a most unwelcome sight met my eyes; the gypsy that was Louis' right hand man was heading towards Erik with sword in hand. Erik had his back turned and didn't see him coming.

My mind spun. Erik and I were sworn enemies, and there were many scars on both mine and Christine's hearts that would never heal because of him, but he had been an irreplaceable help in this situation, and as hard as it was to admit, I was thankful to him. As the man came closer, a memory of Christine's words in the graveyard flashed through my mind, her begging me not to kill him. I made up my mind. I dashed towards them, ignoring Lucien's cry of "Raoul you idiot, what are you doing!"

Time seemed to stand still as I moved between them just in time. Erik whipped around just as the blade that was meant for his back pierced my shoulder, going in very deep. The gypsy let out a scream of rage.

"You fool, that blow was meant for the Devil's Child, how dare you get in the way!" he yelled, his bloodshot eyes having a look of pure insanity in them.

"Your leader said that everyone would go free," I said as I put a hand over my profusely bleeding shoulder. "You cannot go back on the deal."

He sneered at me, a smirk overtaking his tattooed features. " I believe I can, for you see, I wasn't expecting your victory." He turned, and nodded at the other gypsies, and I watched in horror as men and women alike pulled out weapons. There was no need for Erik to say what he said next.

"Run!" he shouted.

Lucien and Phillipe led the way, and I grabbed Christine's hand and followed them, with Erik following behind. We ran for dear life, straight towards the opera house. I could only hope that the Girys had gotten the police, for a full fledged battle was about to begin.

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We had been running for several minutes until we stopped out side the opera house, gasping for breath. The pain in my arm was really setting in now; it throbbed suddenly and I inhaled sharply, supressing shout of agony that came to my lips. Christine turned to me, her face lined with worry.

"Raoul, we must get you hom, you're in a terrible state," she said gentely.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the pain that was coursing through my body. "I have I finish this Christine, love" I said, feeling tears prick my eyes as I saw the tears in hers. " Or they will nevver leave us alone."

"Raoul," said Phillipe seriously. " The four of us can't fight fourty gypsies on our own, it would be suicide."

"If only Meg and Madame Giry could get the police here sooner." said Lucien, rubbing his wrists that were red from being bound by the rope.

It was then that I looked up and saw our prayers being answered. There, running towards us was a large group of policemen, led by the Girys. Madame Giry was the first to reach us.

"Look at the state of you all!" she cried out. "What happened?"

"We're in a bit of an unexpected predicament," I answered vaguely. " But please Madame, take Christine into the opera house and keep her safe!"

She nodded, and after I gave Christine one quick kiss, Madame, who had to pull Meg from Lucien, took both Christine's and Meg's hands and fled towards the opera. It pained me to see the looks on Christine's and Meg's faces as they looked back at Lucien and me. But my thoughts were interrupted as the police chief himself approached me.

"Monsieur le Vicomte, I'm sorry that it took us so long to get here. Please tell me what has happened," he said, eyeing my wounds.

"I'm afraid that you shall have to wait for that part of the story monsieur," I said gravely. "They're coming."

Everyone swung around and saw the gypsies sprinting towards us. What happened next rather reminded me of something that I had once read in a book about battle strategies. The group of policemen, each armed with a saber and a gun, ran directly into the group of ragged gypsies. A defeaning clash rang out as the weapons met each other. I looked around at Phillipe, Lucien, and Erik, each of whom looked ready to fight. Each of us unsheathed our swords and charged right into the fray. The minute I entered the battle I knew that we were out numbered. There were many officers that were fighting two gypsies at once, and Lucien and Phillipe had already been pounced upon, and I lost sight of them in the crowd. The gypsies seemed enraged by the defeat of their leader and fought harder than I had yet seen them do.

I heard someone behind me, and turned around to see the gypsy that had tried to kill Erik standing before me. He was leering at me, and his eyes burned with dislike.

"You'll pay for your victory against out leader, and for getting in the way of my killing of the Devil's Child, you filthy aristocrat!" he growled.

"And you will pay for doing this!" I gestured to my injured arm. "Come at me you fiend, I dare you!"

And so he did. I swung at him with my good arm and the fight began. We had only been fighting for a few minutes when a gunshot rang out, piercing the night. I became distracted, looking to see if it had hit anyone on our side. The gypsy took this opportunity to pounce, knocking me to the ground. I was a bit too quick for him however. Before he could pin me down, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and stood up as his legs dangled in the air. I pointed my sword at him, his face paling.

"Please Vicomte, don't kill me," he pleaded. "Show mercy!"

"I have no mercy for you," I spat. "As to killing you, I'll leave that to the authorities, it is not my place to decide your fate. But in the meantime, perhaps you should take a nice nap!" With that I threw him roughly away from me and he landed near the steps of the opera, completely unconscious.

I surveyed the scene around me. The fight still raged on, with no hope of ceasing. We needed reinforcements! I became locked in battle with yet another gypsy. For the first time that evening, I felt myself losing hope. We simply didn't have enough people. As I managed to fend off the latest gypsy however, something happened that caused many to stop their fighting and stare. There on top of the opera house stood a group of people, women from the look of it, hurling objects off the roof. I grinned; Christine had clearly found a way to help. It seemed that she, Meg, Madame, and the ballet girls had found objects to throw at the gypseis from above. And it was working well too, many gypseis were being hit and falling to the ground. This cleared my path and I could see more and more clearly what was going on around me. After knocking a few more gypsies out of the way, I saw something that I hadn't expected. Louis, the leader, was standing there opposite Erik, whose glare burned with animosity. I thought for sure that Louis would have been knocked out for hours, but he was proving to be less and less human as the night progressed. Erik made the first move and swung hard at his enemy, knocking him over on the first try. This seemed to infuriate the gypsy leader beyond control.

"You will not defeat me Devil's Child! I shall seek revenge upon you!" he screamed in rage.

I watched in horror as the gypsy came at Erik full force. Erik managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but he did recieve a cut on his arm. He caught sight of me and nodded, though I noticed that he didn't look me in the eye. I rushed over and fought Louis while Erik took a moment to recover from being attacked. He didn't take long however, and soon we were both fighting the very same enemy.

"Well, it seems as though I will have the double pleasure of taking out both the Devil's Child and the respectable Vicomte De Chagny. What an evening !" said the wretched gypsy, his face a grimace of pure evil.

"You shall have no such pleasure!" growled Erik menacingly. "You people never learn do you?"

With that, Erik and I simultaneously ran our swords into the fiend's legs causing him to fall and rendering his legs completely useless; he couldn't move. Everything seemed to fall apart for the gypsies after that. I heard the police shouting that the gypsies had surrendered, and whipped around to see the uninjured gypsies throw down their swords in defeat. Apparently the defeat of the two highest ranking gypsies and of most of the clan had significantly decreased their morale. The police were handcuffing gypsies left and right. Lucien and Phillipe came to my side, each bearing cuts and bruises.

"Are you all right Raoul?" asked Phillipe.

"I've been better," I said, as both my arm and the back of my head throbbed.

"Where's that Phantom fellow?" asked Lucien, wiping his bleeding cheek with his shirt sleeve.

I turned to look where Erik had been standing only moments ago, only to find the gypsy leader we had fought together now not only paralyzed from his wounded legs, but with a very familiar piece of rope around his neck. He was dead, and Erik was nowhere to be found. I did notice some smoke in the air; it looked as though Erik had dissapeared to avoid the suspicious eyes of the police. It thundered overhead, and the rain began to pour. The battle had finally ended, and we had come out victorious. I silently thanked God as Lucien, Phillipe, and I walked towards the welcoming opera house.  
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A/N: Hey everyone, I hope that you liked this! There are still a few chapters left, so look for the updates. Please read and review! 


	25. Safe and Sound

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 25: Safe and Sound

A/N: Sorry for the wait, I had all of my high school graduation activities last week, so I was constantly on the run. But now I've graduated, so yay I'm off to college in the fall! But I'm so excited, because I got tickets to see Phantom on stage on June third for my graduation present! And my seats are in Row B, right behind the orchestra pit! I can't wait! And the guy who plays Raoul is so good looking! But anyway, on with the story!

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Christine's POV

From my perch on the roof I could see that the battle had ended. A great cheer went up from all of my friends; our side had won! Policemen were chsing what was left of the gypsies and handcuffing them. I made my way down the stairs and through the halls that I had so often tread and into the lobby to wait for Raoul to come in. I only had to wait a few minutes however, because the doors to the opera swung open, revealing three wet and weary figures. Phillipe and Lucien were quite beaten up, but Raoul looked the worst; his shirt sleeve was covered from the blood from his shoulder wound, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had a concussion from colliding with that brick wall. I dashed towards him and took both of his hands in mine, not hugging him for fear of hurting his wounds.

"Raoul!" I exclaimed. "Oh thank goodness you're all okay, I was so worried."

He smiled at me, but I noticed his face paling even more. "I'm all right Christine, don't worry."

"I do worry," I said firmly. "And you need to rest, and get these wounds cleaned."

I led him up the stairs and into an empty ballet dormitory, where Madame and the ballet girls had set up four beds and medicine for Raoul, Lucien, Phillipe, and Erik. It was then that I noticed that Erik hadn't come inside.

"Raoul, what happened to Erik?" I asked as I opened the door and gestured for Raoul to sit down.

"He dissapeared after the battle ended. We defeated Louis together and then the battle ended and I turned to look for Lucien and Phillipe. When I turned back though, there was smoke in the air, and I saw that Erik had killed Louis with his lasso." said Raoul, his voice tired. "I think he just pulled on of his vanishing acts to stay clear of the police."

"You're probably right," I said as I carefully slid off Raoul's white shirt to get to his shoulder wound. I threw it to the ground; it was covered in sweat and blood and needed to be thrown away. I took a cloth, wet it, and began to clean the blood, both dried and fresh, from Raoul's shoulder and head.

"You don't have to do this Christine, I can do it," he said, trying to maintain the facade that he wasn't exhausted.

"I want to Raoul," I said. "Let me take care of you, as you've taken care of me. Its the least I can do after all you did tonight. And besides, I'm not squeamish of blood anymore. I can't be if I'm going to bring child into the world."

He chuckled at this, and the sound brought a smile to my lips. I loved the sound of his laughter. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Meg and Madame had cleaned up Lucien and Phillipe, and were forcing them to rest. It seemed that they wanted to check on Raoul, but I heard Madame utter, "Christine has it all under control, now rest," quite firmly.

I leaned down and picked up some of the medicine that Madame had put beside the bed and began to dab it on Raoul's shoulder wound, which was very deep, and on the back of this head.

"Ouch!" he said suddenly. "That stings Lotte!"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You're telling me that you can sustain serious wounds without complaint, but you complain about a little sting? You never fail to amaze me Raoul De Chagny," I teased.

He turned around and gave me a look that was remisniscent of his nine year old self, and it made me laugh. I wrapped his shoulder and put a soft pillow down for his injured head. He tried to protest when I told him to lay down, but I insisted, and he gave up the fight.

"You were brilliant tonight," he said as he lay down. "That roof top scheme was genius. We couldn't have won without it."

"We wanted to help," I said simply. "But we will talk later, you need to rest."

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked, his sea blue eyes concerned.

"I'm fine, now sleep!" I said in a mock stern voice.

After I saw that he was at least feigning sleep, I walked over to Meg. I recieved a warm hug from my sunny friend, who actually looked downtrodden for once. Her blue- green eyes were tired, and her face was pale.

"Are you all right Meg?" I asked, conerned. "You look pale."

"Oh Christine, I was just terribly worried tonight. I was so afraid that something might happen to the lot of you. And then Lucien came in so beaten up," said Meg in a rush. Sometimes Meg had a hard time admitting that she was upset, always trying to keep a smile on her face, so I knew that she really must be troubled.

"But its all right now Meg, we're all fine, and so are you," I said, trying to comfort her as she had often comforted me.

"I know," she said slowly. "Its just that I came so close to losing you all . And..." I saw her cast a smile over to the sleeping Lucien. "I don't know what I would do without Lucien, I love him so. Isn't it funny that we, as best friends, fell in love with a pair of best friends?"

"I think it was meant to be Meg, I really do," I said, and saw her eyes light up. "And I have a feeling that just maybe, everything is going to be all right now. For all of us."

Meg opened her mouth to reply, but was interuupted by a struggle in the hallway. Two familiar voices floated into the room.

"Erik, you have an injury, and it must be attended to," came the stern voice of Madame Giry. I heard a derisive snort come from Erik.

"Its not that deep," he protested.

"Its deep enough Erik, and reguardless, you need some medicine on any cut, small or large, so as to avoid infection," she said as they came into view, Madame Giry forcing Erik inside.

If anyone else had attempted to do this, I knew that they would not have lived to tell the tale. But he and Madame had a strange relationship, and Erik was eternally grateful to her for liberating him from those gypsies and I was sure that tonight's events had reminded him of his gratitude. He came in and sat down on one of the emty beds. He glanced over at Meg and me and nodded at us, his face unreadable. He did however, shoot Madame Giry an annoyed look as she dabbed the medicine on his arm. I noticed that he too, flinched at the sting.

"How is Raoul, Christine?" asked Madame, undoubtedly trying to make up for the awkward silence that had now overtaken the room. "Lucien and the Comte went out like lights."

"I had to make Raoul go to sleep," I said, looking over at my husband. "He's as stubborn as a mule, and he worries too much about me."

"It has been a rough and terrible night, and I believe we all need rest." she said, as she finished bandaging Erik's arm.

"Are you quite finished Antoinette?" snapped Erik impatiently.

"Yes Erik, but I shall be down tommorow to check on it. And you need to get some sleep too," she said firmly.

"I'm not a child you know," he said, his voice irritated. "In fact I'm far from it! I can take care of myself."

Madame Giry rounded on him and their eyes met, both pairs flashing. "Well you are certainly acting like a child now! Just accept my help, would you Erik? That's what friends do, and you need to learn that!" she said in a tone that left no room for argument, and he said nothing more, but nodded, getting up to go.

I watched him walk across the room, this man who had been the cause of my nightmares for the past year, and who had been ready to reign terror on the opera once again just a few months ago. But now somehow, he seemed a bit changed. Granted he was still himself in most ways, and I didn't know if that would ever change, but he had helped us against this enemy to protect me. Both he and Raoul had put aside all their differences to win against this same foe, and they had done it for me.

"Erik?" I said quietly, and he turned, surprised. "Thankyou for all of your help. I know how hard it must have been for you to have to confront all of those bad memories." I stopped, watching my former teacher, hoping that he knew that I meant what I said.

He looked at me for a moment, his eyes not giving anything away. "Your welcome Christine," he said. "Take care of yourself." His eyes lingered on my face for a moment, and his eyes were squinted, and he looked for a moment as though he was tempted to try and make me go with him, but it passed, his expression becoming neutral again. I saw him cast a quick glance at Raoul's shoulder, and then back to my face. He huffed slightly, and I realized what he was doing; he was letting me go, for good this time. It seemed that after this experience, he knew he couldn't try to take me away again, not after we had all somehow managed to work together and had come out victorious. We had all made our way through the crisis, had helped each other, and Erik, it seemed, didn't want to upset that balance. He was on his way, perhaps to really accepting my love for Raoul. I gave him a smile, and he gave me a strange half smile back, as though knowing that I wished him well, and with that, he left.

That was odd," said Meg, her brows furrowed.

"Erik is odd," said Madame. "But I sense a change in him. But I would have thought he would have been in a more agreeable mood after defeating the gypsies. I saw him glance at Raoul's shoulder wound, what was that about?" she asked.

"When Erik had his back turned, a gyspsy ran at him, attempting to kill him, and Raoul moved in between them. That's what caused his shoulder wound." I said, remembering back to just a few hours ago. "They also fought the leader together, from what Raoul told me, and paralyzed him. But Erik also got him with the lasso."

"What did Raoul say about taking that blow for Erik?" asked Meg, shocked.

"Nothing, but I didn't want to question him tonight. He's been through enough, what with fighting the gypsy leader twice, and everything else. He'll tell me when he's ready to, there is no need to force him to talk about it yet," I said, smiling over at my love.

"I still can't believe they came together like they did. I'm proud of them both, and of Phillipe and Lucien too. It seems that we have some heroes with us. And I'm proud of you girls, for coming up with that roof top scheme, it seems that I raised some brave young women," said Madame. "But now girls, we need to rest to. We shall all stay here tonight."

With that, I walked quietly over to Raoul and gave him a kiss on the forehead. I crawled into the bed next to him and a thought suddenly occured to me. Maybe I didn't have an Angel of Music anymore, but I did have a Guardian Angel here on earth, and his name was Raoul.

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A/N: Okay, so just a little aftermath chapter there. There will be three more chapters to this story; one where they preform Faust, one where the child is born, and an epilogue. But there are surprises in each one, so be looking out for them! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review! Vive le Vicomte! 


	26. Sweet Melody

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 26: Sweet Melody

Raoul's POV

A week or so passed and now I sat in box seven at the Opera Populaire's final performance of Faust. It had been an insane week to say the least. The front page of all the Parisian papers, big and small, had covered the battle. The day after the incident Christine and I had been accosted by reporters on our way home, and our picture had been in the paper the following day, along with Phillipe's and Lucien's. Reporters had also invaded the opera house looking for the Giry's and the other ballet girls who had participated in the rooftop attack. These incidents made me curse the invention of the camera. It seemed that each and every newpaper wanted an exclusive on what had really happened that night. I had been hailed by the police chief a few days ago and he had thanked me and everyene else profusely. He had to asked us a few questions to complete his report, and had afterwards pulled me aside for on last question.

"Vicomte," he had said in hushed tones. "I know that I saw that Opera Ghost fellow who caused so much havoc a year ago fighting the other night. Did my eyes decieve me, or was he helping our side?"

"He was," I had said. "His help was irreplaceable."

"There is still a warrant for his arrest you know," he has said uneasily.

"Well, I don't know where he is if that's what you're asking." And it was true; I didn't. "But perhaps you could forget about the warrant, seeing as he helped defeat the gypsies?" I had said, hardly believing the words coming from my mouth.

He had looked at me for a second, then nodded and gave me a small smile. "Anything you say Monsieur le Vicomte."

I was brought back from my reminisces by the start of the final act of Faust. I looked to the stage and smiled; Christine was there, about to sing, and concussion or not, I had been determined to come to this opera. I closed my eyes and let Christine's voice wash over me. It was so beautiful, so pure, so angelic. To me, her voice seemed to represent what her soul was like. But it wasn't just her voice that I loved, it was every single part of her, inside and out. I opened my eyes again and watched her as she sang, adoring the smile that overtook her features as she did so. The sweet melody that came out of her mouth seemed to gain more strength with each note. Christine's singing had the ability of making me forget any troubles I might be having at the time. It had done so when we were children and it did so now. I watched the activity on the stage with a rapt enthusiasm, until I felt something light drop on top of my head. I sighed, irritated that I had been interrupted. But as I lifted the object off of my head, my eyes widened in suprise; it was an envelope.

I frowned as I saw the handwriting on the envelope. There was no doubt who this was from, and considering past experience with these letters I didn't know what to expect from this one. I took the letter out of the envelope, unfolded it, and began to read.

Vicomte,

As painful as it is to admit this, and as much as I can't stand you, I wanted to thank you for taking that blow for me. I am sure that it saved my life, and that means a lot to me. Now we have the comfort of knowing that the wretched gypsies are in jail. Tell Christine that she sang beautifully tonight.

Erik

I simply sat there for a moment, incredibly surprised and not quite knowing what to do. Then it hit me. I turned the yellowish parchment over and pulled my fountain pen from my coat pocket.

Erik,

I also have some thanks to offer to you. Without your knowledge we could have never hoped to defeat those gypsies, and I am very grateful. Neither we nor Paris shall ever have to worry about them again. I am glad that we managed to put aside our differences, at least for a while, to vanquish those fiendish gypsies. I shall tell Christine.

Raoul De Chagny

I put the letter back in the envelope and resealed the wax skull, which truthfully was still quite creepy. I had been surprised to see that he had signed his name, instead of the normal O.G. I put my pen back in my pocket and stood up as the cast took their final bows, and saw Christine blow a kiss in my direction.

"Bravo!" I exclaimed, blowing a kiss back as the applause exploded around me. The curtains closed and I walked out of the box, leaving the letter on the chair. I walked out into the hallway and found that the candle on the wall had been extinguished. I turned around as I heard the swish of a cloak behind me, sounding like it had entered the box. I saw the dark form pick up the letter off of the chair and from what I could tell he looked a bit shocked that I had written back. He opened the envelope and read the letter, then walked out of the box and turned to face me. He stared me down and I stared at him right back. Then he nodded, and I nodded in return, and I could have sworn that I saw a hint of smirkish sort of smile on his face. Then with that, he turned to go, and so did I. As I walked down the hallway and into the brightly lit lobby, I shook my head. That had certainly been a strange encounter. But it, unlike the other encounters that I had experienced with the man, had not left me with feelings of uneasiness or fear. I got the impression that though it would never really be right between us, that we had at least come to a sort of understanding.

I walked through the lobby and towards the dressing rooms, stopping only a few times to chat quickly with a few people. That was the trouble with being a Vicomte; someone always wanted to talk to you. When I finally reached Christine's dressing room, I rapped lightly on the door.

"Come in," I heard her say. I opened the door, and she smiled at me. I tipped my hat at her and offered her the bouquet of roses that I had brought.

"Some roses for the lovely lady?" I said, grinning.

"Why I'm delighted monsieur. May I take your hat?" she asked as she took the roses, laughing at my antics.

"You may," I said as I kissed her hand and took a seat beside her.

"So what did you think of the performance?" she asked.

"It was wonderful as always. I think that was the most applause you've gotten so far," I said. This suddenly reminded me of what Erik had requested. "Erik asked me to tell you that your singing was wonderful tonight."

Her eyes widened. "What? Did you run into him?"

"Actually, he dropped a letter from the rafters, and requested it. I responded to his letter, and caught glimpse of him when he came in the box to get it."

"I take it he must have been watching the opera then. I'm glad that he enjoyed the music," she said. "Speaking of Erik, Raoul may I ask you something?"

I looked at her quizically. "Of course darling, anything."

"What made you take that blow for Erik that night?" she asked quickly, her voice containing a small tremor.

I thought for a moment, trying to put my answer in the right words. "Truthfully, it was a combination of two things. One, he had helped us against the gypsies, and two, well, I thought of you and your face that day in the graveyard when you asked me not to kill him."

I saw her eyes mist over and felt her arms suddenly wrap around me in an embrace."Oh Raoul," I heard her say softly. "You always think of others; that had to have been one of the most selfless acts I've ever seen. And one of the bravest. And you two working together, I still can't believe it. But sometimes I wish you'd think of yourself more."

"I could say the same about you Little Lotte. But we had best get out there, I believe that your public awaits," I said as I helped her up.

"Wait, there's just one more thing," she said, and I noticed a sly grin on her face. With that, she caught me in a kiss, which I fully returned, and at that moment everything was right with the world.

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A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait, I've been out of town, and my eighteenth birthday was yesterday. Also, I got to see Phantom on stage on Saturday. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life, everyone was amazing! I especially loved the All I Ask of You bit! Well, please review, only two chaps left!


	27. A Glorious Day

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 27: A Glorious Day

Raoul's POV

Two months later...

Time passed quickly as spring began to bloom in France. After Faust had ended I took my maternity leave from the Opera Populaire. Since the weather was warm Raoul had taken time off from the firm and we had once more ventured to the house by the sea. We spent wonderful sunlit days at the shore, just the two of us. Now I stood on the deck of our cottage, looking out at the waves as they rippled up against the sand. I felt an arm find its way around my waist and my now rather large stomach.

"Hello, love," I said, smiling.

"Hello Little Lotte. How are you feeling today?" he asked. "Am I going to have to coax that child out of you? I wish it would come already."

I laughed at his impatience. "Raoul you can't rush these things, you know. The baby will come when he or she is ready."

Then as though the child inside of me could hear our conversation, I felt a sudden pain and let out a small gasp.

"What's the matter Christine, does something hurt?" asked Raoul, his baby blue eyes concerned.

"I think the baby must have heard us talking because I think its coming," I said, short of breath now.

Raoul stared for a moment as though frozen with shock. Then he spoke, his words unsure.

"I'll get Jacques to ride for the doctor and I'll stay here with you," he stuttered. "Is that all right?" He looked at me desperately, his hands shaking slightly. But I had anticipated this; truthfully I had thought that he might be much worse. From the tales I had heard of Father's state during my birth, I thought Raoul was doing quite well.

"That's fine," I said calmly, gritting my teeth in pain. "Please hurry."

With that he picked me up carefully in his arms and laid me delicately down on our bed. "I'll be right back," he promised as he ran out the door, his hands in his hair, his face slightly pale. I heard his footsteps moving frantically through the house and heard his worried voice calling out for Jacques. A few minutes later he came back into the room, his eyes looking wild, his blonde hair askew.

"Jacques is on his way. Are you going to be able to hold on until the doctor gets here?" he asked as he knelt next to the bed.

"Yes I think so," I said. "Ouch!" I let out suddenly as another contraction came on.

"Here, take my hand and squeeze it as hard as you need to when you're in pain," he suggested as he put out his hand.

I took it and smiled a bit through the pain. This very gesture was one of the reasons that I loved Raoul so much; he stood by me through everything and we were always there for each other when we needed one another. The minutes passed and the contractions came closer and closer together. I kept squeezing Raoul's hand and noticed that his fingers were turning red. I pointed this out to him and he responded that that small pain was irrelevant compared to mine. I would have laughed at the truth in this, but it only made me hurt more. Then I felt a searing contraction and I cried aloud. At the same moment the door came open and the doctor came in, trying to catch his breath.

"Ah, well I can see that I got here in time. I was quite surprised when Jacques came riding up. Its a good thing that I live just down the road." He cast a glance at Raoul. "Will you be staying or leaving Vicomte?"

I looked up at Raoul and gave him a pained smile and grasped his hand. "I'll stay," said Raoul shakily, reading the expression in my eyes. I could tell that he was terribly nervous."Is everything going to be all right with Christine and the baby?"

The doctor nodded."It will all be fine Vicomte, never fear," he responded reassuringly.

An hour later however, 'All right' was not how I would have described the scenario. I was yelling out in pain and sweat poured down my face. I grapsed Raoul's hand so firmly that I was sure that he had lost all feeling in it.

"Just one more push Vicomtess, just one more!" exclaimed the docotor encouragingly. I yelled out and gave one last burst of energy. "Its a girl!" said the doctor gleefully. "But, oh my! It seems we have another one on the way!"

"What?" asked Raoul, astounded. "Do you mean to say that Christine is having twins?"

"Yes," answered the doctor simply. "And here it comes!"

I felt another searing pain and squeezed Raoul's hand. This one however, came much more quickly than the first had, and after a few minutes I felt relief as the second child came. As the pain subsided, the shock that I had just delivered not one, but two children, set in. I had had no inkling that I would be having twins.

"Its a boy Christine," said Raoul. " We have a beautiful baby girl and a bouncing baby boy," he breathed, his voice filled with emotion.

I smiled up at him, loving the expression that was there in his kind and handsome features. We had created two new lives with our love, and it was the most thrilling emotion that I had ever experienced.

"Congratulations to you both," said the doctor, as he placed the twins in my arms.

I noticed that the girl had deep brown eyes like mine and little sprouts of blonde hair from Raoul. The boy on the other hand, had piercing blue eyes like Raoul and dark brown hair like mine. As I held my babes in my arms, I had never felt such a need to love unconditionally or to protect. Raoul leaned over and looked at the children with adoration and fascination in his eyes.

"What do you want to name them darling?" he asked as he swept my sweaty curls from my face.

"I was thinking Gustav and Gabrielle. How does that sound?"

He grinned. "I think that sounds perfect"  
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Later that day after the sun had set, I awoke to the sound of Raoul sliding into bed beside me.

"Hello there," he said as he kissed my cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," I responded truthfully. "But so very happy."

"I should say so," said Raoul. "I don't know how women manage to do that. I just put Gustav and Gabrielle back in their cribs. I attempted a lullaby, but I know yours would be much better."

I chuckled. "You have a nice singing voice," I assured him.

"Its all right I suppose, but you my love, have the voice of angel," he said as he wrapped both arms around me, holding me close.

"Can you believe it Raoul? We've started a family of our own. It seems so wonderfully surreal," I said, burying my face in his shirt, a smile pulling at my lips.

"Its feels magical Christine, I've never felt anything like it. I experienced a whole new ruch of feelings when I held them today," he said as he planted a kiss in my hair.

"Raoul," I said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I love you so much," I said, loving him even more now than I had before, which I hadn't thought possible.

"Oh, Christine," he said, and I knew he was smiling. "I love you too, so very much."

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A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to update, but getting ready to go to college is hard work! Talk about the paperwork! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. There's only one more chapter left after this, which I'm almost done with. It will be an epilogue which takes place eight years after the twins are born. Thanks once again to all of my wonderful reviewers; I love you guys! Please read and review, I can't wait to see what you think! 


	28. One Love

Let Daylight Dry your Tears

Chapter 28 (Epilogue): One Love

Raoul's POV

Eight years later...

" Gabrielle, Gustav!" I called out. "You had better have found superb hiding spots, I'm very good at this game!"

Christine, the children, and I had gone to the park just a few miles down the road from our house. It was springtime, and the morning sun shone kindly down on us, the temperature just right. The twins had somehow convinced me to play hide and go seek with them, and I, unfortunately, had been deemed 'it.'

"They found good spots Raoul," called out Christine. "You might have a hard time finding them."

"I shall do my best," I answered, grinning over at my wife. She sat on the park bench, bending over the baby carriage that contained the newest addition to our family, three month old Meg, aptly named for her godmother.

After we had named our baby girl after Meg, Lucien had demanded to know when we were going to name a child after him. Meg and Lucien had been married for eight years now, and had a child of their own, seven year old Antoinette, named of corse after Madame Giry. Meg and Lucien had gotten married only a few months after Gustav and Gabrielle's birth. I suddenly saw a flash of curly blonde hair rush past me, giggling.

"Aha!" I exclaimed in triumph as I ran after Gabrielle, trying to catch her before she reached the bench where Christine sat, which had been deemed 'base'.

I ran, catching up with her only moments later and picked her up, swinging her around.

"You found me Papa!" she exclaimed, laughing as I tickled her. "But Gustav has a really good hiding spot, no one could find him!"

"Is that so?" I questioned as my daughter nodded, her blonde hair glowing in the sunlight. "Well then I don't suppose you'll tell me where he is?" I chuckled.

"Of course not Papa, that wouldn't be right," she responded, shaking her finger at me.

As I began to look for Gustav, Gabrielle went and sat next to Christine, bending over the baby carriage and talking to Meg in a baby voice. She was very proud to be an older sister. I looked for my son for five solid minutes until I spotted a mop of curly brown hair in a clump of bushes. I pretended not to see him and walked around the bushes.

"Where oh where could Gustav be?" I said in a sing song sort of voice. I heard laughter come from the bushes and swung around in mock surprise. "Ah, well there he is!" I said as he came out from the bushes, convered in leaves and grinning, his blue eyes a reflection of my own. I stood in silence for a moment, still amazed at how much the twins resembled Christine and I. "That was a good hiding spot, son," I said.

"Did you find Gabrielle already?" questioned Gustav, trying to pull a twig from his hair.

"Yes, I did. She tried to run for base and I caught her," I responded. "But I don't think I would have found her if she hadn't run, you two are good at this game."

"I told her not to run, you run too fast papa," he said knowingly. "Will you give me a piggy back ride over to where Maman is?"

I looked at him still trying to catch my breath from running.

"Please?" he pleaded, and I gave in. I bent down and he jumped up onto my shoulders, telling me to giddy up as we made our way back over to Christine, who raised one eyebrow as we approached, a half smile on her face.

"What?" I asked as I sat Gustav down. "Do I look funny?"

At that she couldn't help but chuckle. "You're covered in grass and sweat," she said, eyeing me. "You look like a child yourself."

"I try to keep my inner child alive," I said as I discarded my uneeded jacket and planted a soft kiss on Christine's lips.

I sat there for a few minutes while Christine tried a round of hide and go seek with the twins. I lifted baby Meg from the carriage, cooing softly to her. I watched as Christine chased after Gustav, her dark curls blowing about in the light breeze, and the yellow sundress she wore making her skin glow. Suddenly it dawned on me that we had everything that we had ever wanted; a happy and peaceful life together. We had three beautiful children, Christine had her music at the opera, and we had our friends and family near by. I realized at that moment that my love for my wife grew with each passing day, and that we shared something that no one could ever tear apart.

I looked back up at Christine, and she looked back, feeling my gaze. She flashed me a glowing smile, and I could see the twinkle in her eyes. I smiled back, feeling elated. After a few more minutes I heard footsteps and turned to see the tall figure of my brother walking towards me.

"Hello there Phillipe," I said, putting Meg gentley back into her carriage to greet my brother. "What brings you to the park?"

"I was just taking a walk when I spotted you. Have you been playing with the children?" he asked, grinning as he eyed me grass stained shirt.

I laughed. "They coaxed me into playing hide and go seek. Its not a good look for a Vicomte I know, but I've long since stopped caring about what others think."

Phillipe chuckled as he watched Christine run past, now chasing both of the twins. "Our parents would have been proud of you Raoul," said Phillipe softly. "And I'm proud of you."

I looked over at my brother. He wasn't one to say things like that very often, so I knew he meant it.

"I hope they would be, and you know I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for you," I said sincerely.

"I was worried there for a while," he joked, elbowing me. "But you turned out all right."

We laughed at this, which drew Gustav and Gabrielle over, followed by a weary looking Christine. The twins pounced on Phillipe instantly, pleading for him to play with them. Though hesitant at first, Phillipe adored being and uncle, and so consented. The rest of the morning passed in bliss. A little while after Phillipe arrived, Lucien, Meg, Antionette, and Madame Giry showed up, and we all went to lunch together. Gabrielle was thrilled to see Antionette, and I could already tell that the two of them were forming the kind of friendship that Meg and Christine had.

Later that afternoon however, as the group of us were perusing a few shops, I saw a familiar figure pass by. I glanced at Christine, noticing that she too, has seen him. He didn't say anything to us, but simply nodded and we nodded back. I thought I saw a flash of a smile, but with that, he was gone as quickly as he had come, his black fedora pulled down low and covering his mask. I was surprised to see him in Paris, but I felt no uncertainty about it. Madame Giry had kept in contact with him through letters, and from what she had told us Erik had traveled to London and had begun to work on a few operas which had become quite popular. I was glad that the two had kept up their friendship. As Erik walked away, I felt someone tug on my hand.

"Papa," said Gabrielle, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. "Who was that man in black?"

"Just someone I know, darling, that's all. Your mother and I knew him years ago. He writes operas like the ones maman sings in," I answered. My response seemed to satisfy her, and she turned back to Antionette.

After a few minutes however, my mind traveled to other things and I didn't think about Erik again until later that night when Christine and I were getting ready for bed.

"Christine," I said suddenly. "What do you think Erik was doing in Paris?" I was curious to see what she thought.

"I'm not sure," she said as she climbed into bed beside me. "I was considering asking Madame what she knew. But with Erik you can never really tell."

"No I suppose you can't," I said as I turned out the lights. We were quiet for a few moments, and I felt Christine lay her head down on my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

"Christine," I whispered into the darkness. "Tell me; are you happy?"

"Oh Raoul," I heard her say as she stroked my cheek. "There's not a happier woman in the world . Do you remember the night on the rooftop when we sang to each other?"

"Of course," I responded. "That is one night I will never forget."

"Those words we sang to each other have all come true, and we have all that and more. And you will always be the one that I want beside me. We were meant to be together Raoul, of that I have no doubt," she said, her voice brimming with emotion.

"I have no doubts of that either my Little Lotte," I said, kissing her forehead. "You, my love, are the light of my life," I said, stifling a yawn.

A few more minutes passed and I believed Christine to be asleep until she spoke.

"Do you know what I think Raoul?" she said sleeplily. "I think that we are each other's guardian angels."

I smiled, my eyes filling with happy tears. "I think you're right Christine, I really do."

With that we both fell asleep, basking in the warmth of each other's embrace, knowing that we would never have to let go, for we would forever share one love and one lifetime.  
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A/N: Thankyou so much to all of my loyal reviewers, it has been you that kept my desire to write alive.Thanks to Mary Anne Talbot, Beauty and Yue, Glitter Queen, IAmTheMaskYouWear, MJMOD, jtbwriter,psychonerd5, ObsessedPhantomPhan, ghettoxxxmexicanxox, and anyone else who reviewed! This story means a lot to me, and is one of my most treasured works. I already have another story in the works, which is of course, Raoul/Christine. It will start just before Raoul and Christine meet and will chronicle their years apart, their renunion and the events of the movie. It will end a bit after the movie. It basically tells the love story of the two and the events that occured and reasons why they belong together. It will be a mix of ALW and Leroux with my own personal bits. It will called 'A Simple Love; The Chronicles of Raoul De Chagny and Christine Daae. I hope you've enjoyed Let Daylight Dry your Tears. Please review, that's All I Ask of You! 


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